Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Gatefan1976]

I'm sorry but you're wrong on that - it was six weeks. Olivia was born in March and 6 weeks later Amanda was back on set.

Ok, I am wrong.
Was she back "full time"?

[majorsal]

So only Daniel benefitted??

daniel and mitchell and vala, the 3 *stars* of the new stargate sg1 series.

[Gatefan1976]

daniel and mitchell and vala, the 3 *stars* of the new stargate sg1 series.

I guess I just never saw it that way

[Mandysg1]

Here is my two cents worth (we have stopped using pennies in Canada so I have to use them somewhere ).

I think the writers did know how to write a strong female character, isn't that one of the reasons why Sam was such a great character and we all loved her? Granted, they had some help. Let's not forget the "my reproductive organs speech", it was
Amanda who told TPTB women don't talk like that and not to write Sam like "the girl" but rather like any other character and she would add the necessary touches to make Sam a woman.

I think the writers got bored with SG1 as it was. They wanted a "new" show called Stargate Command and they made changes even though the SC idea was rejected. I think they loved Amanda but got bored with or ran out of ideas for Sam. I think they enjoyed writing funny lines for Vala. As a result, we got more Vala and less Sam.

I also think they felt they had a "name" with RDA and for some unknown reason they felt they had to fill his shoes with another "name", hence BB. I don't think they realised how much the fans loved Sam, Daniel and Teal'c and how we would have continued on watching the show with just them.

I do also think there is a gender bias in the industry, that is obvious. I can't believe anyone would think otherwise. If you do, please show me the stats on the majority of movies and TV shows with female leads. I do think TPTB did not believe Amanda should be the lead, not because of Amanda but because of her gender. Whether that was MGM or the executive producers of SG1, I don't know.

I have heard Amanda speak many times and I have never once heard her say she wanted a reduced role because she had a baby. I have heard her say that the fact Cam was referred to as the "leader" of SG1 came as a surprise to her. I came to like the character of Cam and loved the easy friendship with Sam but he should have been her 2IC period.

I agree they could have come up with a much better way of explaning Sam's absence due to Amanda's mat leave. They had to come up with a number of ways to explain RDA's absences when he reduced his time. Sam should have come back the way she left, as leader of SG1, only as a real leader, not just the glimpes we saw in season 8.

Spent my penny and I'm off.

You do realize that you have to round that up to a nickel right?

[majorsal]

I guess I just never saw it that way

it got better in season 10 for me.

[EH-T]

You do realize that you have to round that up to a nickel right?

No, I get to round it down so my comments are worth......err....nothing.

[Skydiver]

one thing, purely my opinion of course, the strong female characters on the show, they came pre season five. The more coop and company ran the show, the more input skiffy had (starting in season six) the more we got boobs and tank tops and females that were only
Indulgent maternal
girl friend of hero
sex object
hopelessly inept

Look at how John openly defied Elizabeth more than once, he was in charge, she enabled him and smiled indulgently when he defied her. Keller who was the ultimate geek fantasy in being rod's girl friend, vala with her past largely ignored but bustier on full display (her costumes were also tailored, tight shirts, tight pants, etc instead of regulation wear)

IMHO, coop and company were incapable of making and promoting strong females. They fell for and wrote cliches, ladies that they could handle or control or were little more than the catalyst for the 'white male action hero and his geek sidekick' to save the day.

Teal'c didn't fare much better, he was largely ignored for episodes at a time. He didn't fit what they wanted, which was Daniel, cam and Vala.

TPTB are sexist. So is the scifi channel.(as it pertains to how they wanted the show to be)

Ben was hired at the request of skiffy. Coop wanted MS to lead the show, skiffy wanted a name - and were hoping to capture the ticked off farscape fans - so ben was hired. (Ben bears no blame, dude was just hired and he was a professional about it...claudia really bears no blame either. In fact, they double dealt her a couple of times, all but forcing her to appear when she was pregnant when she didn't want to (adria came about because coop and company just HAD to have vala back and didn't care that claudia was pregnant)

Coop and CO didn't want to make stargate, they wanted to make their own show, weren't allowed to (skiffy denied their request to name the show stargate command) so they carried on doing they could to sneak their new show in using the old name...then certainly didn't handle it well when fans in general weren't receptive to their 'new and improved' show.

If I recall correctly, it was all the fans fault that they didn't like the new show.

[Gatefan1976]

If I recall correctly, it was all the fans fault that they didn't like the new show.

Where have I heard that before

[IamDKScully]

Has anyone else seen William Shatner's Captains? There is a wonderful interview with Kate Mulgrew that gets to the heart of this discussion. She and Shatner both talk about the blatantly sexist attitude toward women in sci-fi and tv in general.

I also watched this panel from ComicCon in Austin 2012 with Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden. They also talk about their roles and the way they were treated. Most STNG fans know that Gates was actually fired for confronting the writers about her character (thank goodness the fans got her back!) and Marina talks about how she would get calls from "upstairs" about looking fat or changing her hair as opposed to comments about her actual performance.

I think Amanda is much more outspoken now because of the success she's had elsewhere and she's not really worried about burning bridges any more. Why should she be! She is the definition of awesomeness

[Skydiver]

I agree. She's moved to the point where she's not as dependent upon 'oh, don't hire her, she's trouble'. ALso with her doing more directing than acting....well they don't care if you've put on a pound or two if you're behind the camera.
She's paid her dues and put up with the 'boys'. now she can move past them and maybe work towards an industry that's not as sexist and discriminatory.

[Gatefan1976]

Has anyone else seen William Shatner's Captains? There is a wonderful interview with Kate Mulgrew that gets to the heart of this discussion. She and Shatner both talk about the blatantly sexist attitude toward women in sci-fi and tv in general.

Do you mean the Captains Summit series?

I think Amanda is much more outspoken now because of the success she's had elsewhere and she's not really worried about burning bridges any more. Why should she be! She is the definition of awesomeness

I just hope she stays "in the industry", would be a shame not to see her anymore.

[suse]

No, I get to round it down so my comments are worth......err....nothing.

You comments are always worth something, Eh-T. (Even if just a laugh...;-) though I find that worth way more than a nickel)

I believe Claudia was behind some of her costuming. She wanted to look girly. I'll bet - for her - the role was a fun change (at least until she was dealing with a sick baby and husband and 16+ hour days). It's just too bad it didn't really fit what SG-1 was before. There is grow and change; then there is... what we got.

[suse]

You know when Actors say it's not good for fans to know too much "behind the scenes" stuff?
I never saw Sam as being "degraded" at this point, I just thought she may have wanted, or needed more time with her kid.
(before I cop the "what would a guy know", bare in mind I am a stay at home dad for 3 kids, so this is far from "unknown territory" for *me*

I believe the term used was *downgraded*, not degraded. Amanda at no point in any interview mentioned that she wanted to take time off - except the time off needed to heal from childbirth. Seeing the hoo-haa that was going on regarding Sam's position, you'd thing she's have said that she was stepping back her time a bit.

The leader of the team has to be there for everything, and if Sam/Amanda could not do it, then the show must go on.

See above.

Was She the only Actor in Sg-1 that had a S11 contract? Ben, Claudia, Chris, Michael, Beau, did they? Nope, Just Amanda.

I'm sorry, I'll need a reference for this that is from a non-fan source. I certainly remember people rumour-mongering the S11 stuff, but I don't remember seeing it from Those In Charge or Amanda. My understanding is that they *all* had options for season 11, but as there was no season 11 Atlantis was free to ask Amanda to move over there. (I will also research more and add the information I find.)

ETA:http://www.gateworld.net/news/2006/1...isi_for_.shtml

"I am contractually obligated to the franchise for a year. I knew at the beginning of Season Ten that it was a possibility that if SG-1 went down that I might be doing some Atlantis," Tapping told GateWorld in an interview. "They exercised that option, which is fine."

Yep, it was an option. She was obligated to do the year on Atlantis IF they exercised the option. They did not have to. That's the way options work.

suse

[majorsal]

I just hope she stays "in the industry", would be a shame not to see her anymore.

that's the *only* downside for me, in that i'd prefer to see her in front of the camera.

I believe Claudia was behind some of her costuming. She wanted to look girly. I'll bet - for her - the role was a fun change (at least until she was dealing with a sick baby and husband and 16+ hour days). It's just too bad it didn't really fit what SG-1 was before. There is grow and change; then there is... what we got.

remember the 'younger and edgier' sg1 vignette from the ep 200?...

[suse]

remember the 'younger and edgier' sg1 vignette from the ep 200?...

I try not to. And usually succeed quite well.