SGU Time-Line

[mathfun]

Before I ask a question here is, I think, the time line of events:
Aug. 21, SGA is cancelled. Atlantis fans are upset
Aug. 22, SGU is given the green light. Part of the focus is to bring in younger viewers. Atlantis fans are very upset
Sept. 17 Casting Call From the list given on GW most of the characters are between the ages of 20 - 25 with one exception. SGU becomes Stargate 90210
Oct. 24 Concept Art for the ship is shown on GW
Oct. 28 Universe is on track: Joe M. "... definitely not be a Voyager:90210."
Nov. 6 Universe Team is identifiable: describing the characters "Young is experienced in his 40's the others are wet behing the ears."
Nov. 21 SGU pre-production update:
Jan 9 SGU character breakdown: 2 "older" people added.
Jan 15 Actors listed and who they will play. Actors ages are older then the casting call on Sept.l 17.
I might have left some things out, but for the most part that's it.
Now for the question.
The older characters that are now in the series were they already on the drawing board and just not listed in the Sept. 17th casting call, or did TPTB realize that many of the SGA fans were so upset by the ages and descriptions of the characters that new and older ones were added?

[jenks]

They wouldn't have changed their plans because of a few pissy fans on the internet.

[PG15]

From JM's blog on December 14th:

Oh, and of course I did find time to read the scripts that Lawren sent my way: the first two episodes of the upcoming Stargate: Universe. Those of you looking for a more character-centered scifi series need look no further. While Rush is still my fave, I also think Wray has a lot of potential for getting under Young and co.’s skin. She’s a definite love her or hate her type of character, one who’ll prove the bane to many a series regular, and probably some viewers as well. At present, a lot of the supporting players (James, Brody, Henry, Riley, Grearson, Volker, and dear, dear Franklin) hold a lot of promise as well. I’m reminded of Atlantis’s Zelenka and SG-1’s Lorne (hell, even McKay), secondary characters who, over time, developed into fully fleshed-out personalities and fan favorites.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-fan-favorite/

"Wray", of course, is the older IOA lady. No, I'm pretty they've got this down from the beginning.

[Stormtrooper]

Before I ask a question here is, I think, the time line of events:
Aug. 21, SGA is cancelled. Atlantis fans are upset
Aug. 22, SGU is given the green light. Part of the focus is to bring in younger viewers. Atlantis fans are very upset
Sept. 17 Casting Call From the list given on GW most of the characters are between the ages of 20 - 25 with one exception. SGU becomes Stargate 90210
Oct. 24 Concept Art for the ship is shown on GW
Oct. 28 Universe is on track: Joe M. "... definitely not be a Voyager:90210."
Nov. 6 Universe Team is identifiable: describing the characters "Young is experienced in his 40's the others are wet behing the ears."
Nov. 21 SGU pre-production update:
Jan 9 SGU character breakdown: 2 "older" people added.
Jan 15 Actors listed and who they will play. Actors ages are older then the casting call on Sept.l 17.
I might have left some things out, but for the most part that's it.
Now for the question.
The older characters that are now in the series were they already on the drawing board and just not listed in the Sept. 17th casting call, or did TPTB realize that many of the SGA fans were so upset by the ages and descriptions of the characters that new and older ones were added?

It's very likely they are trying to accommodate current Stargate fans by adding older characters to Universe. Their plan won't work, however, if they start focusing every single episode on the infant team.

[StarCapnRa]

Before I ask a question here is, I think, the time line of events:
Aug. 21, SGA is cancelled. Atlantis fans are upset
Aug. 22, SGU is given the green light. Part of the focus is to bring in younger viewers. Atlantis fans are very upset
Sept. 17 Casting Call From the list given on GW most of the characters are between the ages of 20 - 25 with one exception. SGU becomes Stargate 90210
Oct. 24 Concept Art for the ship is shown on GW
Oct. 28 Universe is on track: Joe M. "... definitely not be a Voyager:90210."
Nov. 6 Universe Team is identifiable: describing the characters "Young is experienced in his 40's the others are wet behing the ears."
Nov. 21 SGU pre-production update:
Jan 9 SGU character breakdown: 2 "older" people added.
Jan 15 Actors listed and who they will play. Actors ages are older then the casting call on Sept.l 17.
I might have left some things out, but for the most part that's it.
Now for the question.
The older characters that are now in the series were they already on the drawing board and just not listed in the Sept. 17th casting call, or did TPTB realize that many of the SGA fans were so upset by the ages and descriptions of the characters that new and older ones were added?

Nice summation.

In My Opinion?
No to "already on call".
They had to back-pedal and find the older "new" ones.
In My Opinion, that is...

[jenks]

It's very likely they are trying to accommodate current Stargate fans by adding older characters to Universe. Their plan won't work, however, if they start focusing every single episode on the infant team.

There is no infant team, you seem confused.

[Mitchell82]

They wouldn't have changed their plans because of a few pissy fans on the internet.

Nope it takes an angry mob to do that.

[terr]

Before I ask a question here is, I think, the time line of events: ... The older characters that are now in the series were they already on the drawing board and just not listed in the Sept. 17th casting call, or did TPTB realize that many of the SGA fans were so upset by the ages and descriptions of the characters that new and older ones were added?

The only thing in your list that says TPTB were paying attention to the viewers' concerns is Mallozi's comments that the show will not be 90210. The older characters you mentioned (Senator Walker and Camille Wray) are only guests for the three part premier ep (perhaps to recur). As for the casting of "older" actors, I don't see it. Jamil Walker Smith is 27, Brian J. Smith is 28. David Blue looks to be mid-late 20s as well. Actors this age take roles in the 20-25 range all the time. I seriously doubt their casting was an attempt to up the age. One thing that you seem to have missed is the Dec 15 news that a second older series regular was added -Dr. Rush, already cast with Robert Carlyle. From the description and plot info, it sounds like Dr. Rush was always there, but not a regular. I suspect his movement to series regular has more to do with the star-value of Robert Carlyle, rather than concerns over the age of the cast.

Personally, I was less concerned about the age of the characters than I was about their targeting a younger audience. I've seen some shows go after the younger audience by pandering to a common adolescent world-view, continually showing the the young characters to be significantly wiser and more capable than they realistically could be, while depicting the older characters as narrow minded and ineffective.

[Alexandria7]

According to Brad Wright's interview on JM's blog, it was Sci Fi who claimed the show was targeted to a younger audience, not him.

I sincerely doubt he changed the characters to be older just because the fans were upset. By that time he already had a picture of what they would be in his mind's eye.

The character writeups are for actors and cannot be considered as a biography of the character just yet in my opinion.

[terr]

The write-ups from Sep 16 Meet the Stargate Universe team!, Jan 9 New SGU character breakdowns: Senator Walker and I.O.A. rep, and Jan 15 New details on Universe’s supporting characters are all for the casting call. Casting calls are provided for actors who might want to audition for the role, and are almost certainly subject to change. (Heck, we've had some name-changes already.)

The write-ups from the Jan 16 The Characters of Stargate Universe are mini-bios provided for the fans, but are essentially a re-write of the casting call info and probably subject to change also.

Personally, I was less concerned about the age of the characters than I was about their targeting a younger audience. ...

A key word there is "was". Over time, I've come to doubt that the Stargate PTB want to alienate their core audience. They just want to expand on it.

[StarCapnRa]

They wouldn't have changed their plans because of a few pms-y fans on the internet.

Nope it takes an angry mob to do that.

The kind of angry mob that convinces a marginal cable network to change things to suit their p*ss*d off fans? A marginal cable network like Sci Fi??
If so, too late. They are already committed.
(Better luck next time, Quasimodo.)

[AlphaBlu]

The timeline is a bit more like this:

1. SGU is given the greenlight.
2. Sci-Fi Channel, as usual, makes a complete mess of it and announces it moments after SGA is cancelled (much like telling us SG-1 was cancelled on the eve of 200).
3. SGU casting calls go out.
4. Bunch of people on the internet read too much into them.
5. Bunch of people on the internet continune to read too much into them.
6. People who are not really young are cast in the roles.
5. People who were reading too much into the casting calls now have to make up a conspiracy rather than swallowing their pride and admitting they read to much into it.
6. People who were reading too much into it continue to go on about it in threads like this.

Far more accurate.

BYE

[Stormtrooper]

The timeline is a bit more like this:

1. SGU is given the greenlight.
2. Sci-Fi Channel, as usual, makes a complete mess of it and announces it moments after SGA is cancelled (much like telling us SG-1 was cancelled on the eve of 200).
3. SGU casting calls go out.
4. Bunch of people on the internet read too much into them.
5. Bunch of people on the internet continune to read too much into them.
6. People who are not really young are cast in the roles.
5. People who were reading too much into the casting calls now have to make up a conspiracy rather than swallowing their pride and admitting they read to much into it.
6. People who were reading too much into it continue to go on about it in threads like this.

Far more accurate.

BYE

Hardly. The OP's timeline is based on verifiable facts, yours is based on mindless fanboyism.

[Lt.Pianot]

You have to remember from concept to production, a lot of changes do happen. what may look good on paper, do not all ways look good once started..

You name a Series, and I bet you before the pilot of that episode a lot of changes happen, from the original script / concept etc..

I know of examples, of after a pilot has gone out, changes happen to make the show better..

I do know, the Stargate production, do listen to the fans.
but they can not allow the fans to dictate the way the series go.

They have to please majority, not the hard core minority..
Its all about the ratings, the broader the show appeal to the better.

From the moment, Atlantis was canceled by Sci Fi, the production crew, jumped on to Universe.
I enjoy my Stargate, having a series to watch every year, its great.

I really think they production crew, did this so we had a Stargate series to watch this year.
Production of these shows do not happen over night.. they take time.

They are working on two movies as well at the same time...which will not be out until 2010.
So all fans have got something to look forward to this year.. with Universe.

[ed263]

I might have left some things out, but for the most part that's it.
Now for the question.
The older characters that are now in the series were they already on the drawing board and just not listed in the Sept. 17th casting call, or did TPTB realize that many of the SGA fans were so upset by the ages and descriptions of the characters that new and older ones were added?

I was also wondering about this as well. In a Nov. 5th interview on MGM site
http://stargate.mgm.com/news_detail.php?id=114
The age of the new cast was brought up:

"Casting notes leaked online several weeks ago, revealing that the producers are looking for a core cast of six - four actors and two actresses - to launch the series. Though the team is lead by Colonel Everett Young, who is described as being in his forties, the rest of the characters are listed as being in their twenties. Some fans have queried the wisdom of having such young characters, but Cooper points to the youth of Stargate SG-1's cast when it launched.

"The SG-1 cast were quite young when they started," he argues. "Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping were both in their early twenties when they first started the show – it just was on for ten years! So I don’t think we’re doing anything different than what we’ve done before when we’ve started a new show."

So it did seem that they were looking for a young cast and now the cast is older...hum...very interesting. I'm sure that there were some very talented actors in their early 20's who applied for the job, but they chose the older ones.

Back in August or September 2008, JM informed his readers that BW would take part in a Q&A on his blog and to submit questions, but BW did not post his repsonse until Jan 2009 after Robert Carlyle was announced as part of the cast...again...very interesting. Perhaps he waited until after RC was announced as being part of the new show to address concerns about a younger cast? Again, the timing was very interesting to me. I'm sure he was just as busy in August/September as he was in Jan.

Anyway, from my viewpoint it does appear that casting a young group of actors was re-considered. Why? I'm sure we will never really know until someone on the inside decides to write a "tell all" book.

And even if the actors themselves are older than originally planned, the characters could still be written and portrayed as being in their early 20's, so could the nickname of the new show still be warranted? Perhaps, but it will not be proven otherwise until the show is "Air"ed.