Paul McGillion (Carson Beckett) Starring or Recurring???

[Snowman37]

Paul McGillion played the great Doctor Carson Beckett. However, I'm a bit confused as to the actor bouncing back and forth between starring and recurring roles.

Season 1: Counting "Rising" as two episodes, Dr. Beckett appears in 16 of 20 episodes, yet he is credited as a special guest star each episode. Why not as a regular?
Season 2: Promoted to main cast, yet he returns for 16 of 20 episodes. Am I missing something here?
Season 3: He appears in 13 of 20 episodes, yet he is credited as a regular. This strikes me as more of a recurring role, no?
Season 4: 2 Episodes
Season 5: 5 Episodes

Now, if we compare him to Jennifer Keller...

Season: 3 Season Finale
Season: 4 Jewel Staite pops up for 11 of 20 episodes in a recurring role.
Season: 5 She returns for 14 of 20 episodes, yet she is credited as a regular.

This is all very inconsistent. Can someone explain this to me?

[jelgate]

Its all up to business aspects. Recurring acts are paid on a per episode basis and can deny any request to appear in an episode if they have other projects. Main characters are paid per season and thier contract specifies that their obligation to Stargate comes first.

[Snowman37]

Regardless, you have to admit it's inconsistent and bizarre.

[jelgate]

Not really. Its pretty common in American TV

[Snowman37]

Not on the shows I watch.

[bookwormjules]

Originally he wan't suppose to have a starring role. The character was suppose to have a smaller role in the series as a whole. It was do to the fan reception he had such a prominent role in the rest of season one and asked to become a regular in seasons 2 and 3. It's also why his character made a comeback.

It doesn't seem to be how many episodes they're in, but how much time the character is in the episode and how the story arcs surround the character.

[Snowman37]

Isn't most of the season finished filming before the first episode airs? As for Seasons 2 and 3, that's just it... his role was no larger in Season 2 and in fact smaller in Season 3. His role in the later seasons was a non-issue, it's mostly just the first three seasons that don't make much sense. How can you bring him back for the same number of episodes or fewer episodes and call that an expanded role?

[jelgate]

Isn't most of the season finished filming before the first episode airs? As for Seasons 2 and 3, that's just it... his role was no larger in Season 2 and in fact smaller in Season 3. His role in the later seasons was a non-issue, it's mostly just the first three seasons that don't make much sense. How can you bring him back for the same number of episodes or fewer episodes and call that an expanded role?

I told you this already. Its guranteeing he is in the show versus recurring he can deny episode appearences

[Snowman37]

Perhaps, but that doesn't really answer these two questions.

Isn't most of the season finished filming before the first episode airs?

How can you bring him back for the same number of episodes or fewer episodes and call that an expanded role?

[jelgate]

Yes but S2 isn't written until a vast majority of S1 is seen

[bookwormjules]

Combination of screen time, influence of character in story arc, development along with how the contract is handled, as Jelgate mentioned seem to affect how a person is billed in a show.

Janet recurring character may have been in a lot of episodes, but there wasn't a lot of depth with her characters overall development. While with Beckett, in both seasons 2 and 3 there were episodes directed towards his character, there was a lot of focus on his character and how it developed over time. Once he became recurring in the last season, his character wasn't seen much any more, may have appeared in a lot of episodes, but didn't do much for the character.

I really don't think it has much to do with the amount of episodes, because look how many of the airman, and tech support guys showed up in nearly every episode of the show.

[Falcon Horus]

Janet recurring character may have been in a lot of episodes, but there wasn't a lot of depth with her characters overall development.

You must have been watching a different version of SG1 than I was watching...

[Hyndara71]

You must have been watching a different version of SG1 than I was watching...

Would green you for this if I could

[jelgate]

I would say Janet a lot of depth. Overall her character didn't change that much but they gave little tidbits here and there about how Frasier thinks. Kind of like Hammond. He rarely had an episode devoted to him but you knew his character by the end of Lost City

[bookwormjules]

You must have been watching a different version of SG1 than I was watching...

I would say Janet a lot of depth. Overall her character didn't change that much but they gave little tidbits here and there about how Frasier thinks. Kind of like Hammond. He rarely had an episode devoted to him but you knew his character by the end of Lost City

I didn't say she didn't have depth. I said the depth of the development wasn't on the same level as it was for the recurring characters. You learned titbits about her yes, but they only scracthed the surface with her, compared to the characters, like Beckett who had starring roles.