SG1/SGA - Is SciFi Channel (or other TPTB) censoring Alex Levine's Blog

[morjana]

This is odd...I just went by Alex Levine's blog (the SG1/SGA script coordinator) on the SciFi Channel SG1/SGA web site, on the odd chance it might have been updated...

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/

And the blog has been edited...the most current entry is back in January.

So what did Alex type in February and March that the SciFi Channel (or some other TPTB) decided to excise/censor from the web site?

Curious...

Morjana

[prion]

This is odd...I just went by Alex Levine's blog (the SG1/SGA script coordinator) on the SciFi Channel SG1/SGA web site, on the odd chance it might have been updated...

http://blog.scifi.com/stargate/And the blog has been edited...the most current entry is back in January.

So what did Alex type in February and March that the SciFi Channel (or some other TPTB) decided to excise/censor from the web site?

Curious...

Morjana

Scifi has been 'vetting' the blog since Alex made that one log about Claudia Black being pregnant (and other remarks about Joe Mallozzi). Wouldn't call it censorship, though. Anyway, the info's been here for months


http://forum.gateworld.net/showthrea...ghlight=levine

There's nothing offensive or spoilerish.

[binkpmmc]

maybe they didn't like the fact he was practically begging viewers to watch in several of his last blog entires because of the falling ratings. Cant' have anything out there that reeks of skiffy and TPTB having possibly made - gasp!! -- MISTAKES - now can we.

[prion]

maybe they didn't like the fact he was practically begging viewers to watch in several of his last blog entires because of the falling ratings. Cant' have anything out there that reeks of skiffy and TPTB having possibly made - gasp!! -- MISTAKES - now can we.

Skiffy would never make mistakes No no, they put out gems of shows like that gawdawful show with whatserface from "90210", the one who seems to never be able to hold on to any show.

But, Skiffy vets the blogs. Definitely after the Claudia Black fracus. While every show seems to have a blog now - purely for marketing purposes to attract younger viewers - Scifi doesn't seem to have a handle on how to do a scifi blog.

What they honestly need to do (and this sounds awful) is get someone from PR to write it. That way, they don't tick off anybody. It may be bland, but it's inoffensive, and nobody gets livid when personal secrets are disclosed to the masses.

It seems that the writing staff, of all people, have a difficult time with blogs, yet techncial staff/actors don't. Makes you wonder, doesn't it??

The Stargate people should look at the BSG blogs. they know how to do blogs. The trouble is that in Stargate, Joe Mallozzi has, alas, shown that he can't do a blog without ticking of a segment of fandom (which came about as having so much contact with fandom that some parts of fandom felt they had a personal relationship with him and when certain things didn't materialize, they felt betrayed, etc. etc. and his comments section looked like the French student riots).

Ron Moore knows to do a blog. He gives info, doesn't stray in the personal stuff. Scifi should sit down, in just one meeting, and decide what they want to do with the blog. The main reason for the blog is to keep up viewership. It's that simple. To NOT lose viewers to other channels over repeat times or even during a week when an episode tanks.

The only stuff I really care about in Levine's blog is the pertinent Stargate news. I don't particularly care if somebody is buying a new car or if there's a new flavor of ice cream that someone's been eating. What Skiffy SHOULD do is put out news, but not spoilers, on how the shows are progressing. Tease the fans, but don't spoil them. You'd think they could do that....

[prion]

Well, since they're gone but still accessible in some manner, let's look at 'em.

March 17, 2006

Another Stargate Season Completed...

Well… it sure doesn’t feel like it here, but the broadcast schedule tells me the season finales are over. I myself just watched the final version of Camelot that you saw and, like the Tauri, Jaffa and Lucian Alliance defense, I was blown away. Great special effects, solid direction and acting throughout. In the immortal words of Dick Vatale, with a nod to March Madness, “Awesome, Baby!”

Speaking of March Madness, Ben Browder and I had a chat yesterday. He thinks Duke is going to take it this year (big surprise!). Myself – I’ve got my money on Villanova, Memphis and Uconn. You gotta hedge your bets!

I’m sure you guys all enjoyed Allies too – did you notice all those Wraith trivia facts I shared with you last year coming to life on screen? No? Fine, whatever. This season, get ready for more excitement in the Pegasus Galaxy – new villains, new guest stars (Richard Kind!), new stories. I hate to play favourites, but I gotta say Carl Binder has written some great stories for Atlantis this year. The guy is a machine. He puts out so many outlines and drafts that when I distribute them, the guys whine… “CARL! Another outline! Will that guy ever stop writing?”

Meanwhile Rob Cooper has his director’s hat on and is shooting some of the most exciting footage I’ve ever seen on a Stargate show. He’s using different kinds of media – even a hand-cranked Bolex, shooting on 16mm – to give some depth to the flashback storyline. “Sateda” is going to be one action-packed blockbuster of an episode. Think John Woo action on acid. Strap yourself in for that one.

What else can I tell you. Lawren still has his job, although Beau Bridges was looking for him earlier. So that’s all tenuous. Ivon Bartok finished an absolutely hilarious mockumentary on Martin Gero that you’ll get to see as a DVD extra when you buy the boxed set of last season’s Atlantis. Will Waring needs to learn how to play Texas hold ‘em because he’s directing an upcoming episode with some poker scenes in it. And Cliff Simon was in the office getting ready for a new Baal episode yesterday. What a villainous South African accent that guy has.

Alright, well this is me signing off for this season. Hopefully I’ll be back to spread truth and rumours next year here on the sci-fi website. But that really depends on you – the viewers. Would you rather watch “Deal or No Deal”? Are you flipping to “Las Vegas” – WELL QUIT IT! We need you! Friday night is once again becoming a ratings battleground, so Stargate’s future is no longer assured. But if you feel like I do, that good sci-fi is worthwhile, keep watching. Otherwise you’ll be left with re-runs of “The Nanny.” So says Fan-boy.

Adios. See you in the summer.

ATL

Don't see anything that screams objectionable. Everybody knows the networks are pulling in the ratings. Alex should have used an emoticon though as some people may not recognize the sarcastic humor.


*******************************************

March 04, 2006

Whoooops!

So there’s a character you should meet… No, he’s not a character from an episode of the show. He’s a character, though. His name is Lawren Bancroft-Wilson, and he is the Assistant to the Executive Producers here at the production office, which is the job I used to have before I became the Script Coordinator. Here’s a little story about Lawren.

Yesterday morning Lawren was trying to take a left on Boundary Road to get to the studio, but a driver in front of him was sort of… stopped… in the middle of the intersection. Well, Lawren’s not squeamish, so he leaned on his horn to get the guy moving, and move he did. Unfortunately for Lawren the car belonged to none other than Beau Bridges. So Lawren’s been trying to keep a low profile this week… Ahhh… the perils of show business.

This week you get to see Rob Cooper’s directorial debut on SG-1 in Crusade, and on Atlantis you’ll see Inferno.

I talked to Rob about making the move to direct, and well… he was pretty low-key about it. He’d obviously been on set a lot over the years, so he knew how everything worked. Also, he was surrounded by our extremely professional crew. Trust me on this - everybody knows what they’re doing… and judging by the results, so does Rob Cooper. He wasn’t nervous or jittery at all, he said. He explained that there’s no reason to be nervous when you can fire anyone you want to. I smiled nervously. Then I laughed. Then I was worried that I laughed a little too loud, so I stopped laughing. But I probably stopped laughing too quickly, because he looked at me a little funny, like he knew I was a little nuts. I better have my doctor adjust my meds.

Crusade is that show where Claudia Black comes back as a guest star. Remember? The one I told you about last year in the blog. The one where [censored; inappropriate content; censored; inappropriate content].

Inferno is yet another action-packed Atlantis episode. Explosions, drama, excitement: a near death escape where thousands of lives hang in the balance. Now I don’t know what’s with you guys, but our ratings haven’t been as great as they usually are. What are you watching? Figure skating? Bobsled? Aren’t space ships and intergalactic battles more interesting than men in tight frilly pants? I’m sorry to have to get harsh here, but I expect eyeballs this week, folks! EYEBALLS.

And next week I’ll let you know whether Lawren still has a job.

ATL

Ha! Yes, the Olympics whupped everybody's ratings butts. I don't see that as begging; again, sarcasm but hey, yes, they DO want us to watch THEM. As if every other network doesn't have the same thing in mind


Would have posted the rest but there's a character limit of 12,000.... So, nothing worth removing it for unless someone screwed up in the upload department. Happens more often than you think

And in re-reading the blogs, actually, not as bad as I recall (must admit the Claudia Black bruhaha in that one post definitely stood out among the rest). So, better reading than what other staff writers have blogged on the show.

[binkpmmc]

It's all in the perception - where you see sarcasm I see a fanboy wanking and begging for viewers to watch since their ratings are dropping. The fact he mentions it twice was what really made me notice - once ok but twice and at the end of the season when you would think they would have been pretty cock-sure they would have put up good numbers like they had in past season endings (oh well they got the ratings in S8 but apparently they thought that something in S8 needed fixing -- alas guess it isn't quite fixed (that's sarcasm) - I started to feel like skiffy and TPTB were getting worried about the ratings when all of a sudden they stopped touting them after ethon drew a 1.5, it also started to smell like desperation when levine started throwing it into his blog (and the winter olympics were a bust and didn't beat much of anything out there). Their desperation was, IMO, confirmed with what I see as a ratings stunt with them "asking" RDA back for several eps as opposed to just the 200th.

[prion]

It's all in the perception - where you see sarcasm I see a fanboy wanking and begging for viewers to watch since their ratings are dropping. The fact he mentions it twice was what really made me notice - once ok but twice and at the end of the season when you would think they would have been pretty cock-sure they would have put up good numbers like they had in past season endings (oh well they got the ratings in S8 but apparently they thought that something in S8 needed fixing -- alas guess it isn't quite fixed (that's sarcasm) - I started to feel like skiffy and TPTB were getting worried about the ratings when all of a sudden they stopped touting them after ethon drew a 1.5, it also started to smell like desperation when levine started throwing it into his blog (and the winter olympics were a bust and didn't beat much of anything out there). Their desperation was, IMO, confirmed with what I see as a ratings stunt with them "asking" RDA back for several eps as opposed to just the 200th.

That's very true. A lot of it is perception. While his Claudia Black remarks were out of line in the manner in which was said, I've often see SOOO many fans say the same thing about ratings. However, with the studio no doubt vetting his work after that fiasco, it's quite possible that is also a ploy on behalf of the studio. Face it, some fans will comply, but the ones you really need to reach are the Nielsen viewers. The rest of us, eh, well, who knows. They want to reach the ones who buy Viagra and whatever else advertises on SG1 (said to say, I only remember the ads that truly annoy me on Stargate and when I tape, I edit out the evil things).

I do believe RDA coming back is a ratings ploy - after all, the reaction of lots of fans is that they just want him back and don't care in what form. I'm sure when July rolls around, he will figure prominently in advertising for the show. "Jack's back! Tune i! (but we won't tell you WHICH episode he'll be in, of course)." The fact that the writers have stopped blogging is perhaps indicative that they need to get their butts back in the writing chair and stop amusing/tormenting, etc. the fan base.

However, still, if Scifi was ticked off about two sentences in two blogs, they're EASY to just snip out and leave the rest of the information, which is entertaining and non-threatening, for the masses. The only way we'll know much of anything is if SciFi does something; I mean, how many fans have actually written in (besides myself) to inquire as to the missing blogs' whereabouts?

But I'm honestly more concerned about gas prices than missing blogs

[binkpmmc]

snip, snip However, with the studio no doubt vetting his work after that fiasco, it's quite possible that is also a ploy on behalf of the studio. snip, snip

I agree 100% and actually stated somewhere else quite a while back that I thought he was a fanboy that was cooper's, and/or the studio's, mouthpiece.

But I'm honestly more concerned about gas prices than missing blogs

So am I as it just hit $3.01 at my gas station (and that's the cheapest one around!!).

[the fifth man]

So am I as it just hit $3.01 at my gas station (and that's the cheapest one around!!).

Holy crap! That's freaking outrageous. These prices are getting way out of control.

[prion]

I agree 100% and actually stated somewhere else quite a while back that I thought he was a fanboy that was cooper's, and/or the studio's, mouthpiece.

So am I as it just hit $3.01 at my gas station (and that's the cheapest one around!!).

Well, whoever writes the blog for a show is, yes, in essence, the studio's mouthpiece.

As for the gas price, I am.... cringing. We hit $2.73, and some stations are nearly $2.80. They jack it up really fast but never lower it.

[smurf]

They probably found it easier/faster to delete the posts than snip out the bits that bothered them.
In a way I'm surprised it took them so long, I would have thought they would have had him on a shorter leash after the CB incident. Two blogs in a row where he makes it sound like Stargate is going seriously downhill ratings-wise.

$3.01! (a gallon, I assume)
Ha, we Brits laugh at your pitifully small cost of fuel. It's about $5.92 near where I am.

[prion]

They probably found it easier/faster to delete the posts than snip out the bits that bothered them.
In a way I'm surprised it took them so long, I would have thought they would have had him on a shorter leash after the CB incident. Two blogs in a row where he makes it sound like Stargate is going seriously downhill ratings-wise.

$3.01! (a gallon, I assume)
Ha, we Brits laugh at your pitifully small cost of fuel. It's about $5.92 near where I am.

When I was in the UK, petrol was, geez, I can't recall what it was, but I also remember that it was a lot shorter distances to drive for anything. Here in the states, too much stuff (particularly jobs) are too far away. What the US gov't needs to do is stomp down on the manufacturer of gas-guzzling vehicles, but that will never happen. However, when the next gas crisis arises (anybody else remember the 70s? yes, crisis my ***, the oil companies in the middle east were making money hand over fist, as Exxon is today), they should limit it by gallon. Sorry, ten gallons max per fillup per car. That would get the SUVs off the road...


But as for Levine's remarks about the ratings... if an emoticon had been added, the black humor would be there (just like watching a late night monologue on Leno). However, no emoticons, so who knows? I think Mallozzi ditching his online presence has a lot more to say about ratings than Levine's blog: Mallozzi was probably told to concentrate on writing.

[morjana]

I think Mallozzi ditching his online presence has a lot more to say about ratings than Levine's blog: Mallozzi was probably told to concentrate on writing.

Elyse, Joe Mallozzi has gone offline in previous years as well, especially at the start of a new season. In may be in YOUR opinion it had something to do with the ratings -- which is a specious argument at best. Both SG1 and SGA are still doing very well in the ratings. The SciFi Channel wouldn't have renewed SG1 year after year (especially when it picked up SG1 for ONE season only for season six), if they weren't satisfied with the ratings.

Take a look at the NATIONAL ratings for SciFi and Fantasy series, posted this Friday at SciFi Wire:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/

Desperate Housewives---------8.9
Medium-----------------------6.9
Invasion----------------------4.7
Lost--------------------------4.7
Smallville---------------------1.9
Supernatural-----------------1.7
Charmed--------------------1.6

Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 3/13/06 - 3/19/06. Fewer than 10 listings appear because fewer than 10 original SF&F programs appeared on broadcast networks during the time period.

*****


Mr. Mallozzi was kind and gracious enough to gift us with his presence online for many years -- a gift that some ungenerous fans shamefully treated with disdain.

Morjana

[prion]

Elyse, Joe Mallozzi has gone offline in previous years as well, especially at the start of a new season. In may be in YOUR opinion it had something to do with the ratings -- which is a specious argument at best. Both SG1 and SGA are still doing very well in the ratings. The SciFi Channel wouldn't have renewed SG1 year after year (especially when it picked up SG1 for ONE season only for season six), if they weren't satisfied with the ratings.

\\\\\ snipping irrelevant portion\\\\\\

Mr. Mallozzi was kind and gracious enough to gift us with his presence online for many years -- a gift that some ungenerous fans shamefully treated with disdain.

Morjana

Hmm, I did say "I think" so yes, it is my opinion and until he actually says why he went offline, we can speculate (you need to check older threads for that topic). However, it's the blog entries in which Alex Levine comments upon ratings which has brought up speculation.

As for the network ratings posted, I don't see how they have any bearing on Stargate. Especially Desperate Housewives. HOW is that scifi??? Oh wait, it's a fantasy for, someone, who must be desperate Renewal for Stargate is most likely predicated on how its current season is doing. THe show is now (ahem) 'long in the tooth' as TV shows go, and the studios/network have to decide what makes the most money. As long as they can sell commercial space and make a decent return (plus make bucks in the lucrative DVD and overseas market) the show will probably continue.

Mr. Mallozzi was kind and gracious enough to gift us with his presence online for many years -- a gift that some ungenerous fans shamefully treated with disdain.

As he did with many other web sites, chat forums, magazine interviews, etc. Yes, the fans who flamed him nastily on his comments did treat him with disdain, yet he was fully capable of returning that disdain in full force. In fact, he said he rather enjoyed reading the 'whacko' comments at one point.

As for the 'some ungenerous fans shamefully treated with disdain', I assume you're referring to the comments on his blog where anonymous posters (some of whom JM referred to as 'whackos') went wild. However, many fans do make critical (but not flaming) remarks about his work, which is par for the course and totally allowable. He's in the business in which his work is intended to be watched and criticized. That's the nature of the entertainment medium. It's no different than people standing around getting coffee on a Monday morning discussing American Idol or any other TV series.

[GateAngel]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here with some comments that are just speculation on my part. I think it has to do with mentioning things of a personal nature about some of the cast and crew without their permission.

March 17, 2006

Another Stargate Season Completed...

Speaking of March Madness, Ben Browder and I had a chat yesterday. He thinks Duke is going to take it this year (big surprise!). Myself – I’ve got my money on Villanova, Memphis and Uconn. You gotta hedge your bets!

Maybe Ben Browder didn't mean this to be public information about his preference.

I’m sure you guys all enjoyed Allies too – did you notice all those Wraith trivia facts I shared with you last year coming to life on screen? No? Fine, whatever. This season, get ready for more excitement in the Pegasus Galaxy – new villains, new guest stars (Richard Kind!), new stories. I hate to play favourites, but I gotta say Carl Binder has written some great stories for Atlantis this year. The guy is a machine. He puts out so many outlines and drafts that when I distribute them, the guys whine… “CARL! Another outline! Will that guy ever stop writing?”

I can see the writing staff being a bit touchy about mentions of who is writing what and even joking reactions from each other being mentioned. Scifi might be concerned about how something like this can be distorted or taken out of context.

What else can I tell you. Lawren still has his job, although Beau Bridges was looking for him earlier. So that’s all tenuous.

Joking tone aside, I personally thought this was not a good thing to post about a fellow employee. Things have a way of mutating in repetiton that could hurt this person careerwise.

And Cliff Simon was in the office getting ready for a new Baal episode yesterday. What a villainous South African accent that guy has.

I can see scifi getting a lot of complaint letters about that comment, no matter how innocent it was meant to be. It just had a bad ring to it.