S10: Critique & Contemplation

[the dancer of spaz]

so, the fine :sarcasm: folks at skiffy are calling the shots. which, i think, explains a lot

Isn't that just grand!

JM had to know what he was saying when he said that, right? I mean, he's heard our incessant griping about skiffy's involvement... That was one of the most straightforward answers he's ever given us, I think.

[ToasterOnFire]

so, the fine :sarcasm: folks at skiffy are calling the shots. which, i think, explains a lot

Yeah, I noticed that quote too. I wonder how much input skiffy really has and how much TPTB bends to them. If Skiffy had a hand in hiring BB, for example, I wonder if they said "Hey, we think BB would be great as the lead! You guys should hire him!" or "Hey, we think BB would be great as the lead! You guys better hire him or we'll cancel the show!"

I think TPTB does have some level of power over skiffy - SG1 and SGA have been the second and third highest rated shows on that network so far this season. I'd like to believe that skiffy wouldn't be foolish enough to really tamper with or cancel shows that are doing that well for them. Who knows, though.

Guess we'll never know the truth until all the shows are done and both sides are free to say what they want. I doubt TPTB would speak out if there were problems with skiffy while the shows are running on that network.

[Nem2k]

i think its a combination of several things that have led to a deterioration of the show

obviously theres the scifi calling the shots thing. why exactly do they have to stick their noses in? theyre business men, they are not, and should not, be the creative minds behind the show, and yet they are dictating what should and shouldnt happen it seems

and i think the other important thing is brad wright leaving. he left, he came back, but hasnt really had much of a say since then
i think brad really had the right idea for what SG-1 should be about...the people. i believe he knows whats important in a good tv show, and we've seen that in 6 years og SG-1.

since he left at the end of s6, RCC has taken over and now the show has become more about the big vfx, the cool gadgets and toys, and team dynamic has gone out the window because i dont believe he sees this as a 'people' type of show

i just think RCC is a kid with money to spend and will blow it on cool stuff. whereas Brad put thought into things, he actualy had a passion about what he was creating and could probably spend half as much as RCC does and still write some of the best episodes. which did happen of course, earlier on in the series their budget was lower than it is now, and yet those episodes seem to be the best because the focus was more on people and their relationships as opposed to big spaceships

im not sure if anyone else agrees with this, its just my take on the whole thing

[Skydiver]

Yeah, I noticed that quote too. I wonder how much input skiffy really has and how much TPTB bends to them. If Skiffy had a hand in hiring BB, for example, I wonder if they said "Hey, we think BB would be great as the lead! You guys should hire him!" or "Hey, we think BB would be great as the lead! You guys better hire him or we'll cancel the show!"

.

option #3

skiffy: Here's Ben, he's your new male lead.
Bridge: We needed a male lead?
skiffy: Here's ben, he's your new male lead or there is no season 9.

[Skydiver]

i agree with you nem, brad gets teh people. he gets the emotions and motivations and realtionships....rcc just doesn't have that fine touch.

brad can put heart into the show....rcc makes something that is technically cool but rather cold hearted because it's just people going through the motions

with brad the emphasis is the people, with rob it's the story.

but without people to tell it, the story is just words on a page

[LaCroix]

option #3

skiffy: Here's Ben, he's your new male lead.
Bridge: We needed a male lead?
skiffy: Here's ben, he's your new male lead or there is no season 9.

Yeahsureyoubetcha! Always go for option 3. Uhg.

[esoap524]

i think it comes down to balance. yes, sam getting a boyfriend did flesh out her character...but did her love life really need to be the focus of three episodes? (parts of grace, chimera, affinity)

why this sudden need to fit in for Teal'c? for 8 years he hadn't cared, all of a sudden it's important

if the relationships were bits and pieces of episodes maybe they would have been better received than when they're the focus of 40 odd minutes of earth bound fun and games

Balance is the key. And if a show is primarily plot driven, as SG1 appears to be, then it's jarring when relationships become the focus. Think Law and Order, for example (plot driven) vs. NYPD Blue (character driven).

People watch shows for varying reasons. Sure, you have to like the characters to even be interested in the plot but I suspect most people watch SG1 because of the external stuff like adventure, vs the more internal stuff like character motivations and desires.

[Nem2k]

I suspect most people watch SG1 because of the external stuff like adventure, vs the more internal stuff like character motivations and desires.

really? thats a good point and tbh i never stopped to think about that because i thought SG-1 is so focused on these 4 people that thats one of the main reasons why ppl watched the show

but i guess that could be because ive been watching and following from the very beginning so it feels like ive grown up with these 4 characters
i mean, sure the stories must be good in order for the show to be interesting, but imo the dynamic between the team is the most important thing

and i think michael greenburg said it best when he said something like "this franchise is stargate, but its also about SG-1"

so at least in my mind, SG-1 takes priority over many other aspects of the show

[esoap524]

really? thats a good point and tbh i never stopped to think about that because i thought SG-1 is so focused on these 4 people that thats one of the main reasons why ppl watched the show

but i guess that could be because ive been watching and following from the very beginning so it feels like ive grown up with these 4 characters
i mean, sure the stories must be good in order for the show to be interesting, but imo the dynamic between the team is the most important thing

and i think michael greenburg said it best when he said something like "this franchise is stargate, but its also about SG-1"

so at least in my mind, SG-1 takes priority over many other aspects of the show

Well, that assessment is just mine. I'm new to SG1 so, in my head, I'm thinking it's more plot than character driven from what I've seen so far. Granted, I haven't seen every episode but, it just seems to me that the story and what happens and where they go is the centerpiece, not how they're going to emotionally deal with something, or deal with each other.

The team dynamics seem like they were set early on and haven't changed significantly. Sure, Daniel's become more military and less scholarly but, for the most part, that's not the point of the show. It's about the adventure and exploring new worlds. That's all I meant. Like anything creative, it's all a matter of opinion (unlike a math problem, for example, or a fact of geography).

Of course, all shows have characters and all shows have plots so sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two.

[Nem2k]

Well, that assessment is just mine. I'm new to SG1 so, in my head, I'm thinking it's more plot than character driven from what I've seen so far. Granted, I haven't seen every episode but, it just seems to me that the story and what happens and where they go is the centerpiece, not how they're going to emotionally deal with something, or deal with each other.

The team dynamics seem like they were set early on and haven't changed significantly. Sure, Daniel's become more military and less scholarly but, for the most part, that's not the point of the show. It's about the adventure and exploring new worlds. That's all I meant. Like anything creative, it's all a matter of opinion (unlike a math problem, for example, or a fact of geography).

Of course, all shows have characters and all shows have plots so sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two.

ah ok, well i respect that you like the show for a different reason to me, im not forcing my opinion on anyone

but when i say this is a show about the people, I dont mean its like a soap opera in that they always deal with how somebody is feeling etc
its quite difficult to explain really because with SG-1 I just feel good about the team, and that although theyre going on these missions, whats more important is that its THEM going on these missions

eg if you imagine Star Trek, im not a huge trek fan by any means, but there are many versions of trek...voyager, deep space nine, TNG, and they all connected to each other some way with some grand storyline, some big war or whatever

with Stargate, well, theres a reason why its called Stargate SG-1. its because this is a show about SG-1.
I mean, could you imagine Star Trek Enterprise without the focus being on the Enterprise ship and crew?

[ShadowMaat]

While I have no doubt that SCIFI has their grubby paws deep in the inner workings of Stargate, I can also see how TPTB would use that as an excuse for all the crap that's going on. Keep mentioning how SCIFI is interfering and soon fans will blame Skiffy for all the problems and excuse TPTB.

Just as the late announcement of renewal was the excuse for shoddy storytelling in... was it season seven? And RDA's reduced presence was an excuse for seasons 7 and 8.

They always find ways to blame everyone but themselves.

[esoap524]

ah ok, well i respect that you like the show for a different reason to me, im not forcing my opinion on anyone

but when i say this is a show about the people, I dont mean its like a soap opera in that they always deal with how somebody is feeling etc
its quite difficult to explain really because with SG-1 I just feel good about the team, and that although theyre going on these missions, whats more important is that its THEM going on these missions

eg if you imagine Star Trek, im not a huge trek fan by any means, but there are many versions of trek...voyager, deep space nine, TNG, and they all connected to each other some way with some grand storyline, some big war or whatever

with Stargate, well, theres a reason why its called Stargate SG-1. its because this is a show about SG-1.
I mean, could you imagine Star Trek Enterprise without the focus being on the Enterprise ship and crew?

I know what you mean. For a show to be effective, you want the audience to at least care about the characters, even if those characters don't always do the likeable, "right" thing. Otherwise, no one is going to bother with the story.

[Nem2k]

I know what you mean. For a show to be effective, you want the audience to at least care about the characters, even if those characters don't always do the likeable, "right" thing. Otherwise, no one is going to bother with the story.

that is true which I think is the reason why firefly was loved by so many. characters werent the nicest of people, but we related to them because they portray some part of the human psyche which we all have in us. good show that, shame it barely lasted one season

[the dancer of spaz]

While I have no doubt that SCIFI has their grubby paws deep in the inner workings of Stargate, I can also see how TPTB would use that as an excuse for all the crap that's going on. Keep mentioning how SCIFI is interfering and soon fans will blame Skiffy for all the problems and excuse TPTB.

Just as the late announcement of renewal was the excuse for shoddy storytelling in... was it season seven? And RDA's reduced presence was an excuse for seasons 7 and 8.

They always find ways to blame everyone but themselves.

Good point.

I always find it so troubling when you make a good point.

[esoap524]

that is true which I think is the reason why firefly was loved by so many. characters werent the nicest of people, but we related to them because they portray some part of the human psyche which we all have in us. good show that, shame it barely lasted one season

Well, I relate everything to Farscape and that was the very thing that was at its centerpiece--the mysteries of the heart and the way the good guys sometimes do a bad thing (create a wormhole weapon) for a good reason (to prevent a war, but still end up killing a lot of innocents).

Firefly and Battlestar Galactica are like that as well. Sometimes the greatest enemy is the one living next door to us or the one residing in ourselves.