Is RDA worth moving the whole set?

[shw77]

see everyone agrees its ok for RDA to want to spend time with his family, we all know jack is major part of the show n stargate would need some great writers along with great new cast memebers n luck to make it past 9 seasons, but why hasnt anyone brought up the idea of movin the stuido to california where RDA lives? i think the show has made and will make enough money to do that, also, i mean how old is RDA daughter now anyways? they move the studo to him for a few years by then his daughter wont want a dad around like most teens get evenutlly n stargate with jack could go on, i'll tell u this i am ill into invest a thosand dollars to move the studo to RDA

whos with me???

or maybe they can just shoot when his daughter is in school n stuff? n give RDA winter, summar, n spring breaks?

[Madeleine]

Would it be okay to have 'a's and 'd's in your 'and's? It's hard to read as it is, remember there are plenty here who speak English as a second or third language!

If they moved production to LA then how much more convenient for RDA! And how unpleasant for MS, AT, JM, PM, PdL, BW, and all the other actors, lighting techs, costume people, propmakers, directors and what-have-you! Most of them are Canadian. Would they want to move away from their own youngsters?

[GateGipsy]

actually this has been brought up before, many many times. It comes down to economics and logistics. The rest of the cast and the crew live, most of them, in Vancouver. The majority wouldn't want to move. Therefore taking the show to LA would mean hiring a new crew.

The reason that the show is made in Vancouver in the first place was financial. For the same reason a lot of sci fi shows are made there. Sci Fi is very expensive to make. Vancouver offers a lot of talent, facilities and production facilities at a much cheaper rate than you'd get in LA.

The show is a business, it has to make money and be financially viable. If it would still be financially viable in LA then I think they would have moved it. I expect that this is something that was considered right from the start - it would make sense.

It isn't just a matter of RDA spending more time with his family. He doesn't work when he has custody of his daughter. And that wouldn't change if they were in LA. He still wouldn't be available on the days that he has his daughter with him. It might give them a little bit more access - during the times when his daughter is at school he could squeeze in some studio time. But I don't think that would be enough to move the entire show to LA.

The idea of giving RDA winter, summer and spring breaks is a potentially good one, but I wonder if you've have any experience of being a non-residential parent? For one thing, the courts don't decide what sort of custody will suit you the parent - they (and rightfully so) will take into consideration what is best for the child. You don't get to pick and choose. And I don't think that any parent would do that anyway.

To someone who hasn't been through this, the idea of having a child for long solid blocks - say a few weeks at a time - two or three times a year might sound like a good compromise, rather than having the child for a few days a week or fortnight. But if you are a parent yourself and you've been through this situation, you'll know it isn't as good an option as it seems.

Children grow up so quickly, changing rapidly from week to week. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. As a parent, the great joy is in knowing your kids - the day to day stuff that many people might think is boring is in fact very important to parents. Who are their best friends? What happened at school today - what little battles did they fight or triumphs did they have that they will have forgotten about tommorrow? There are thousands and thousands of little unimportant things that add up to a very big important whole that the non-residential parent misses out on. And the child misses out on that too.

It is important to the point out that the best custody arrangement, where it can be mutually and agreeably decided by both parents, is joint custody. With good communciation between the parents so that the child has the same rules and guidlines at both homes.

As for getting the fans to club together to finance the move to LA? Well, it'll take quite a lot! But if you're willing to organise it and can get enough people together to do it, then go for it! I wish you all the luck. I'm afraid that I don't have the spare cash to help finance a TV series - with one step child at university, another heading that way, and a third child on the way there are more pressing things for the Gipsy household to spend it's money on.

[Unas]

Its obvious you havent thought out this plan very well. Most of the actors, staff, writers, production crew are Canadian and they will be separated from their families or lose their jobs. Filming in California is very expensive due to taxes and regulations, it will cost millions to move and rebuild the set. Scifi and MGM dont have the same money as Fox did when they moved the X-Files. Remember that MGM recently went bankrupt and was bought by Sony for the sole purpose of MGM's video library. Sony put constraints on how much MGM can now spend. To move an entire show to please a single actor is just silly, unfeasable, and selfish. I assume you dont have children because RDA is already sacrificing a lot of intimate moments with his daughter. From personal experience, I felt very alienated from my parents who worked in another town. They seemed more like uncles and aunts than a closely knit family. His daughter is only 5 or 6, a long way from being a teenager.

[graculus]

IMHO, the X-Files proved that if you move the set, especially to an expensive area, the quality slides rapidly. Since the lead actors were happier, I attribute the problems to new production crew and strain on the special effects budget.

Stargate relies a great deal on special effects, so slicing that budget would be ridiculous.

I wish RDA was going to stay, and I wonder if part of his departure has to do with monitoring fan response to the idea. The family obligations card is always played in job negotiations (actually, it's a gender unfairness issue that "family obligations" mainly works for men, who benefit from the breadwinner cachet): see the recent resignation letter of the chief of NASA as a great example. I'm sure RDA, as well as other actors, bring up the possibility of departure every year. This is not to say his decision was a salary issue: there could be a lot of issues on the table. Either TPTB or RDA himself could be wondering about fan following. If no one has the energy to crusade anymore, I hope RDA doesn't perceive that in terms of fan appreciation.

Later,
Graculus

[BackStageJim]

Moving is not a logical idea, given the govt funding from Canada. Also, most of the cast are traveling to/from LA area on a regualr schedule. AT noted she spends everyother weekend in LA arrea doing some voice projects. CJ is from California. MS might be hold-out since his wife just gave birth and she is part of Andromida, also filed in VC area.

I would suggest RDA film his work much like soaps do, film the whole action/drama then break it up to be seen over a few days.

[graculus]

Last I heard MS was planning to move to L.A. no matter what, so he can't be classified as a hold out.

I was under the vague impression that Andromeda has finished its run.

Later,
Graculus

[Janus]

Would it be okay to have 'a's and 'd's in your 'and's? It's hard to read as it is, remember there are plenty here who speak English as a second or third language!

If they moved production to LA then how much more convenient for RDA! And how unpleasant for MS, AT, JM, PM, PdL, BW, and all the other actors, lighting techs, costume people, propmakers, directors and what-have-you! Most of them are Canadian. Would they want to move away from their own youngsters?

Treu, and I hate to sound Vulcan, but:

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one).

[Hathor999]

I agree that it would be a financial and logistical problem to move the show completly to the USA but could they not film for some weeks a couple of scenes in LA?
Other shows going sometimes to foreign countries to film some episodes on location. Even Dr. Who, a show which had a really cheap budged, was gone for "City of Dead" if I remember right to france. They could use this chance too, to have finaly an alian planet which don´t looks like a canadian wood (for Stargate a truly shocking and never heard concept... ).
I know that Sony/MGM has some studios in LA so that would be maybe not such a big problem.They woudn´t need to take the complet production with them. And about the higher costs in the USA...As much I know is this no longer true. X-Files left canada after a couple of season because filming in Vancouver was more expensive than in the USA. And I remember to have read some things about that the high exchange rate of the canadian dollar is a problem for the film industry there.

And ít´s true that the other actors and people who work on the show wouldn´t maybe not like to move full time to LA. But for let´s say 2 or 3 weeks? Maybe they would even found it interesting.

So why not going one or another episode to LA?

[shw77]

Ok what if they created o'neils office on a set in LA, therefore, off world missions would be up north in Canada n jack office shots would be in La therefore there could be much more jack... and to respond to the commit about my writing, stargate at times include alot of america references and slane, so by askin me to refine my writin, one could say ur tellin the writers of the show to make everything more international and less america, but i'm sorry to say it is america, this kinda reminds me about the time the general, who replaced hammond, askin jack to change his report style "i'll get right on it"

[TechnoWraith]

see everyone agrees its ok for RDA to want to spend time with his family, we all know jack is major part of the show n stargate would need some great writers along with great new cast memebers n luck to make it past 9 seasons, but why hasnt anyone brought up the idea of movin the stuido to california where RDA lives? i think the show has made and will make enough money to do that, also, i mean how old is RDA daughter now anyways? they move the studo to him for a few years by then his daughter wont want a dad around like most teens get evenutlly n stargate with jack could go on, i'll tell u this i am ill into invest a thosand dollars to move the studo to RDA

whos with me???

or maybe they can just shoot when his daughter is in school n stuff? n give RDA winter, summar, n spring breaks?

Can you imagine how unglodly expensive it would be to move the studio from Canada to California? You're not talking about just SG-1, you're also talking about Atlantis, too. Sure, it's an interesting idea, but it won't happen. Expense factors into moving production, actors, sets, and everything else required to run the production of the Stargate series. Logistically speaking, moving all that stuff (actors included) will be a nightmare. Most likely, the studio would have to build new facilities (since it would be pretty difficult for the studio to find an existing site that would be workable for its current needs). And I highly doubt the studio would do all this just to keep one actor in the show.

Like i said, your idea is interesting. But it just won't ever happen (unless you buy the studio yourself. Then you can move it wherever you want! ).

[sueKay]

Unless the whole of the rather temperate Stargate Universe decides to have a never ending summer...

...A move to L.A is a no.

It's bad for everything in the show, and RDA's looking to leave the business altogether. A move to L.A sounds a bit like blackmail to me.

'Hey...let's move the show to L.A so that Rick feels obliged to come back!'

That's what it'd sound like to me.

Plus - Vancouver seems like a really nice place - why would they wanna move???

[EmmaPeel]

I wish RDA was going to stay, and I wonder if part of his departure has to do with monitoring fan response to the idea. The family obligations card is always played in job negotiations (actually, it's a gender unfairness issue that "family obligations" mainly works for men, who benefit from the breadwinner cachet): see the recent resignation letter of the chief of NASA as a great example. I'm sure RDA, as well as other actors, bring up the possibility of departure every year. This is not to say his decision was a salary issue: there could be a lot of issues on the table. Either TPTB or RDA himself could be wondering about fan following. If no one has the energy to crusade anymore, I hope RDA doesn't perceive that in terms of fan appreciation.

Later,
Graculus

I don't think it's an issue whether fans have the energy or not to crusade. And lack of a crusade doesn't mean he isn't/has not been greatly appreciated; will not be missed. Seems to me that most fans understand a crusade to keep RDA on the show would be a waste of time and money. (It's not as if he was forced off the show or something.) It's HIS decision to leave; he's been in show business for a long time, working hard a long time, doesn't need the money and his ego doesn't seem to need the the adulation of fans -- he wants to be there for his daughter. Nothing more than that; it seems to me.


Emma

[graculus]

I agree that crusading one way or another has so many causes and meanings that it ultimately lacks meaning. All I'm saying is that I hope RDA realizes that and that he realizes no matter what happens that he's a beloved character, just as Janet and Hammond were.

Actors make their own decisions, but there's also a weirdness of the business that make fan behavior/response part of the performance evaluation criteria (Q Ratings, for instance). No one but RDA knows all the factors that went into his decision. All I can say is I will miss him, and I *hope* there's not an element of fan-testing going involved.

Later,
Graculus

[EmmaPeel]

Actors make their own decisions, but there's also a weirdness of the business that make fan behavior/response part of the performance evaluation criteria (Q Ratings, for instance). No one but RDA knows all the factors that went into his decision. All I can say is I will miss him, and I *hope* there's not an element of fan-testing going involved.

Later,
Graculus

I'm not quite sure what you are suggesting. In your opinion, what might fan-testing going have to do with RDA's decision (which has been coming for 3 years) not to continue on the show?

I think most fans would rather have him stay if they had a choice of their druthers, except, of course, some fans who very intensely dislike the S/J ship and see RDA's departure as a good thing because they feel it will (hopefully) prevent the continuation of the S/J ship, or those fans who blame RDA's reduced schedule for the fact that SG-1 hasn't gone through the Stargate very much recently and think his departure will give birth to the SG-1 team going off-world often again in S9.

Anyway, I'm not clear on what you are suggesting. I will miss him dearly.
And, no, they shouldn't even think about moving the set to LA. That's unfair to the Canadian cast and crew and it probably wouldn't convice RDA to go back to work anyway.

Emma

[john82410]

its not worth it. stargate can survive with out rda and atlantis proved it! i love rda just like everyone else but he is not the whole show.

[graculus]

I have no ulterior message. I will miss RDA, and I hope he knows that many fans will. That's the sum total of what I mean.

Later,
Graculus

[Sela]

You know, I don't think it's so much about where the show is being filmed at this point. I think RDA feels that he's done all he needs or wants to do with this character and is ready to move on. Even if they packed up and moved everything across the street from his house in California, I think RDA's probably ready to move on, with the exception of a few guest shots now and then.

[Hathor999]

I wish RDA was going to stay, and I wonder if part of his departure has to do with monitoring fan response to the idea. The family obligations card is always played in job negotiations (actually, it's a gender unfairness issue that "family obligations" mainly works for men, who benefit from the breadwinner cachet): see the recent resignation letter of the chief of NASA as a great example. I'm sure RDA, as well as other actors, bring up the possibility of departure every year. This is not to say his decision was a salary issue: there could be a lot of issues on the table. Either TPTB or RDA himself could be wondering about fan following. If no one has the energy to crusade anymore, I hope RDA doesn't perceive that in terms of fan appreciation.

Later,
Graculus

It could IMO have soemthing to do with it. It´s not about doing a crusade for make him stay but if RDA is visiting the boards he must come to the conclusion that he and Jack are by the big majority of fans no longer welcome in the show. The screams for killing Jack are so loud that it´s hard to overhear it. In parts is it IMO RDA´s fault himself, he must have been aware that his over the top "dumb" Jack routine was considered by many fans no longer as very funny. (And I must admit that it made even me sometimes cringe).


But despite of it I believe that the majority of fans want him stay (on the Gateworld poll about it, far more than 80 percent voted for keeping Jack as General...such polls are maybe not completly accurate but I think a poll with so many votes reflects at least in parts the mood of the fandom).
It´s only (as in the case of Daniel some years ago) that the people who hate him are very loud.
And now with BB included into the cast it leads to the fact that many Farscape fans overan the boards (who considered Stargate 4 weeks ago still as the worst tv show the world has ever seen) who maybe don´t hate RDA but want make sure that everybody knows that their star is the best thing that ever happend to television.

My point is I´m lost in the last couple of month´s much of my enthusiasm for the show. And after "Prometheus Unbound" I´m fear that It will be impossible for me to enjoy season 9.
A Stargate SG 1 what is meant to be nothing more than 20 episodes of sex-talk, slapstick violence and jokes, dumber than ever, it´s not something I will watch. But it seems to be exactly that what the majority of fans have 8 years waited for.
Not long ago I had said that I would give the show without Jack still a chance but now with Stargate turning into a bad Farscape clone, RDA would be the only reason for me to watch. But I don´t longer beliefe that he will be back.

[Hubble]

It could IMO have soemthing to do with it. It´s not about doing a crusade for make him stay but if RDA is visiting the boards he must come to the conclusion that he and Jack are by the big majority of fans no longer welcome in the show. The screams for killing Jack are so loud that it´s hard to overhear it. In parts is it IMO RDA´s fault himself, he must have been aware that his over the top "dumb" Jack routine was considered by many fans no longer as very funny. (And I must admit that it made even me sometimes cringe)....

I don't agree with your conclusion that the majority of fans no longer welcome Jack on the show, or that anyone reading these forums and boards would come to that conclusion. Remember, too, on-line fans are but a small percentage of the entire viewing audience, so if I were any actor or director reading comments on these forums, I would keep that in mind. Not that I cotton to this feeling myself, but there are those who feel that we on-line fans who spend x number of hrs. passionately discussing characters on a TV show are a little off-kilter and our opinions should be taken with a grain of salt -- that they might *not* be reflective of the rest of fandom in general, which *might* seem to be comprised of people who see things in various shades of gray, as opposed to the more passionate black and white views of many on-line fans (kill Jack off, S/J ship is despicable, kill off Daniel, S/J ship rocks, J/D is the best relationship on the show, etc.).