Ask Joe Mallozzi - Spoilers for SG-1 (S8, 9, 10) and SGA (S1, 2, 3)

[JMallozzi]

Mr. M.

How are SG1/SGA stars approached and/or approved for interviews? Do magazines, TV shows, internet sites, etc., approach stars directly. . or their agents? Or do interviewers have to go through the show's producers first?

Thanks for stopping by and visiting!

All interviews go through the show's publicity department.

[keppiezbt]

Joe,

Thank you again for gifting us with so many answers and taking the time out to reach out to the fans and respond to our questions. Its an honor.

In Atlantis Season 2, will there be episodes where we encounter non-human aliens? (Maybe the creators of the nano virus from hot zone?) With season 1 so focused on the wraith, will we get out to explore pegasus without the "lets find power to defeat the wraith" premise?

[JMallozzi]

[QUOTE=SaharaGate]Can I ask what you specialised in?? Any parituclar courses you loved or struggled your way through?

My writing partner & I just finished our undergrad degrees in history and literature. And journalism & German. Gonna go on to masters/phd after I finish my film & tv postgrad degree...I adored all the Victorian and Gothic lit (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights etc). Moby Dick was one I struggled with for American Lit though, even though I enjoyed it. Mostly.

- I specialized in Renaissance Drama (Shakespeare and Marlowe). Like you, I loved Gothic Lit. as well.

Hmm. Are you sure your degrees haven't helped you with your writing? I agree that a writer is a writer and you can't teach a non-writer how to write great stuff. But assuming you *are* a writer (which happens to be true in your case ) don't you think studying the way other people have crafted their stories and picking them apart to see what works (and what doesn't) improves your own writing?

- Sorry. Didn't mean to imply that degrees were worthless to a writer. I definitely benefited from many of the courses I took. However, this writer has never benefited from any sort of writing course.

When do you think you went from being a talented writer to a *professional* writer?

- "Talented" is a dangerous word. You're only as good as your last script. As for becoming a "professional writer" - I guess the first time I sold a script, "Patrick Pig Learns to Talk" for a little animated series called "The Busy World of Richard Scarry".

I have this awful feeling that I'm paying all this money for a film & tv degree I'm enjoying but that is ultimately unecessary.

- You'll definitely benefit from the feedback you receive in these programs in addition to an understanding of the mechanics of producing film and television. I'm not knocking an education of the technical aspects - however, I think that anyone who believes creativity can be learned is full of crap.

[halowolf]

Hi Mr Mallozzi

I am french so excuse me for my english. I just want you know that in france WE LOVE THE SHOW ! Yesterday , the two parter season 8th's premiere was on tv and it had the better ratting !

I have a question : Will we see Cassandra in season 9 because she is a great character

ALL FRENCH FANS WANT STARGATE FOREVER ET THANKS YOU FOR THIS AMAZING SHOW

[JMallozzi]

I don't know that I agree with that, if only because I've done a writing course that taught me a lot about the craft of writing and how to put a story together that I wouldn't have known had I not done it. What/who do you think has taught you about the craft of writing then? Or, and I don't mean this sarcastically, is it just that you're innately talented?

I'm pleased the course you took taught you the craft of writing - but I'd argue that anyone could learn the craft of screenwriting by reading a good book on the subject just as easily as they could by taking an expensive course/seminar. The one thing that a course can do (that a book can't) is that it forces you to write and gives you feedback. But then I'd also argue that if you can learn the craft, yet can't bring yourself to write - maybe a career in writing isn't for you.

[Piratejenna]

Hello Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions - it is really appreciated!

After spending 8 years with the original SG-1 team, how easy is it to find the voices of new characters like Mitchell and Vala? Do you find yourself giving Mitchell lines that you would normally put in the mouth of O'Niell, for example, or do you consciously have to remind yourself that this is a different character?

It's known that on Farscape, Ben Browder and Claudia Black had a big input into the show, and were encouraged to make suggestions and improvise. Are they being invited to do the same thing on Stargate, or do the actors have a different kind of relationship with the writers there? And generally, how are BB and CB fitting into the scheme of things?

Can you tell us anything about how Vala fits into the picture? I'm delighted she's there because I am a huge CB fan, but in terms of story, I would have thought she would be immediately arrested for whatever the US equivalent is of "driving away a vehicle without consent"!

Thanks again

PJ

[thorshammer]

In the stargate universe the asgard are the grey aliens from roswell. So that means that the asgard has a flying sauser type or ships.

Perhaps an episode could explain what really happened at roswell.

[Frostfox]

In the stargate universe the asgard are the grey aliens from roswell.

Perhaps an episode could explain what happened at roswell.

Quark and Rom dropping Nog off to go to The Academy, if I recall?

Joe, does filming in Canada cause any problems by comparison to filming in the USA?

Good luck with the Hugo nomination (you are in good company )

Foxy (nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Artist catagory)

[jckfan55]

Hi Mr. M--I really love some of the humorous interactions with Sam and Daniel when they get in a tight spot, such as in the show this season when they're captured by the Trust. Will we get some more fun Sam/Daniel moments in Season 9? thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.

[Platschu]

Hi Mr.Mallozzi!

Thanks you very much answering our questions.

1. The whole Atlantis expedition went to the Pegasus to find weapon against the Goa'uld. I think that they should speak about in the Atlantis after the events of season8, because it seems to me that the writers forgot this and the never mentioned again. I know that the the Wraith and the Orii are the new enemies for both show, but they should speak about this.

2. The SG-1 will have lot of changes in Season9 (for example cast, storylines), so maybe from this season should rename the show and treat like a second spin-off espacially if you make another seasons (S10 or S11). What do you think about it?

3. What you like better? The single or the double episodes? I think most fan prefer better this and from this reason had the second half of S8 so good ratings. From the first S9 spoilers it seems that the show will have long story arcs. After Vala's episodes will it be continuing? How many double episode will be in S9 (not count the season opening, middle-season cliffhanger and season ending)? Is it a risk for the writers that the audience won't understand it so the ratings will be less?

4. How long can the free Jaffas live without Goa'uld queens? Beacuse their symbiontes will mature after some years. This question wasn't solved in S8.

5. Is there any chance that the Tok'Ra will be an enemy of SGC / free Jaffas? After the defeating of Systemlords they don't need to hide, so they have to change their strategy. Can we hear about them again?

6. There were plans to make an Aschen epidose ("Judgement"). Do you work on it? Has the Goa'uld ever meet them or with the Serrakins? Will this 2 race a part of the political factor in our galaxy?

7. Will the S9 be a political-scifi show (like Babylon 5) or the advantures of the team is more important?

8. Earlier there were news that you will make a bonus S2 episode for DVD-release, but you cancelled it because of Amanda's pregnancy. After Season 9 is there any chance to make it?

9. Is there any chance to make some scene for the SG-game?

10. What do you think about the SG-merchandise? Do you read the "offical" comics, novels or RPG books? How much are this stories and datas the part of the SG universe? Can we hear references to datas in the show or do you not want to confuse the viewers?

P.

[GatetheWay]

Will we ever see McKay play the piano?

[Uber]

Joe:

There's a great deal of speculation (especially on the Sam's A Great Character thread) regarding whether or not Repli-Carter was also "beamed away" with Daniel in Reckoning 2.

Is there a chance that this is true? If so, may we also see a final Carter/Repli-Carter standoff where Sam gets the chance to vindicate herself and kicks Repli-Carter's butt from here to kingdom come?

[Shep'sSocks]

I'm pleased the course you took taught you the craft of writing - but I'd argue that anyone could learn the craft of screenwriting by reading a good book on the subject just as easily as they could by taking an expensive course/seminar. The one thing that a course can do (that a book can't) is that it forces you to write and gives you feedback. But then I'd also argue that if you can learn the craft, yet can't bring yourself to write - maybe a career in writing isn't for you.

Thankfully I can do that.

Is there something that you've written and had published/filmed that you'd prefer to disown?

[AlphaBlu]

- Yup. We try to re-use our established characters whenever possible.

So that's a yes to Pierce, Reynolds and Kavanaugh. Sweet! Now if only there was some way to have McKay on both shows, everything would be perfect.

But I do have a new question:

General Landry. Will he be just like Hammond, in that he's pretty much always there but doesn't get a great deal of real development (and by that I mean episodes devoted to him), or will he be like Weir and just as important if not more important than some of the other people on the team?

BYE

P.S. It's kinda disheatening to hear you talk about "writing degrees" like that, especially when I consider that I just finished a 3-year degree in communications that focused heavily on story and screen writing...

[purplestone]

Joe-
Nice to see you here. My question is about something that confuses me. All the titles that people behind the scenes have, can you explain them, what they mean and what level of authority it gives each one over production of an episode. For example what is the difference between a producer and an executive producer? Who is higher up on the chain of command?

PS