Stargate Universe - Casting Call

[Ikaros]

LMAO!!!


Yeah, Joe, he's NOTHING like Jack. LOL!

Gods, I love this thread. The hilarity never ends.

Check Eli to..... 20year old Mckay... LMAO

[Naonak]

You 're propably one of the victims of this kind of dicisions.
You see, Science Fiction has nothing to do with what most shows are showing right now and for long time. Star Trek was sci fi,SGA was sci fi, Doctor Who is sci fi. Very few shows manage to stay away from the soap opera Bull***t.

There's a difference between having strong character development and being a soap opera.

Voyager had lots of science fiction, but half the characters were as dull as a table lamp. If they'd been a bit more interesting, the last few years of the show wouldn't have been quite as bad.

Check Eli to..... 20year old Mckay... LMAO

Except for being a slacker who lacks confidence...

[Reiko]

Did everyone see Joseph Mallozzi's recent blog entry that mentioned the SGU casting call?

Spoiler:

Speaking of SGU, I notice that much of the reaction to the character breakdowns has been negative. While I respect everyone’s right to express their opinions, I’d suggest holding off on making a final decision on the show until you’ve actually seen it. Last week, Brad pitched us the series and its first five episodes and, I have to say, it’s a far cry from the shallow confection many fans are imagining. In fact, in many ways, it’s a much more cerebral and mature addition to the franchise. While firmly entrenched in pre-established Stargate mythology, Stargate Universe definitely strikes out in an exciting new direction. It’s a series that will delight veteran fans, but also appeal to newcomers who may not necessarily know the difference between an Alteran and an Asuran. In spite of what the indicators may suggest, this will definitely not be a Voyager 90210. The assortment of characters that make up the character breakdown are certainly an atypical collection of heroes, far-removed from the skilled likes of Jack O’Neill, Samantha Carter, John Sheppard, and Rodney McKay - but there’s a damn good reason for that. Can’t say more but suffice it to say I have a feeling this show will pleasantly surprise a lot of people.

I'm looking forward to SGU. I think we'll find that the conclusions people are jumping to based on the casting call (e.g., calling it "Voyager 90210") were totally baseless. Enhance your calm people, enhance your calm.

Did tptb just contradict themselves ... again? ::headdesk::

[Pegasus_SGA]

Did tptb just contradict themselves ... again? ::headdesk::

In what way hon? It's late and i'm brain dead, you'll just have to spell it out for me.

[Matt G]

Random thoughts....

Maybe SGU will be a sitcom. The casting descriptions could definitely match it (party girl, slacker, psycho).

Yes, I'm sure two of the characters will have sex (I think the writers call it 'character development' when two characters get naked together) *cough*

I think it's called "developing a new character".

[Pepermint Jaffa]

How can party girl, psyco, slacker, hot and sexy infuse any sort of conclusion other than cliched and shallow.

There are plenty of other conclusions. For example, it's pretty clear from Chloe's bio that "party girl" is part of her back story, not who she'll be on the show itself.

Maybe you are in that age group or find something you can relate to, but I am not,

I'm not in that age group either. But the ages listed in a casting call are irrelevant. Who they cast makes all the difference.

Look, I can understand where people that were solely SGA fans might be coming from with respect to SGU. But I'm more talking to the people that are fans of the franchise that think the people that created SG-1 and SGA would now make a Stargate show about dysfunctional kids. That makes no sense. They've created two good shows, and I see no reason to condemn this next one until there's actually a show and actors to evaluate.

[Pegasus_SGA]

I think it's called "developing a new character".

yeah but that'll take 9 months, what are they going to do for the rest of the series?

[Ikaros]

There's a difference between having strong character development and being a soap opera.

Did i say there isn't?

[Killdeer]

yeah but that'll take 9 months, what are they going to do for the rest of the series?

ROFL!! Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one who looked at that and thought that. *dies laughing*

[Linda06]

yeah but that'll take 9 months, what are they going to do for the rest of the series?

ROFL!! Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one who looked at that and thought that. *dies laughing*

I didn't get this at first....Now i get it

Hey it's getting late and i'm tired

Well that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it

[Briangate78]

Well here is something interesting....

http://nbcumv.com/scifi/release_deta...eenlights.html

I think this show looks more appealing than SGU. Heck it is from the same guy who created a little show called Farscape.

[Shipperahoy]

Thanks for the rational and level-headed comments. People are overreacting, pure and simple.

While I can't speak for every other person posting in this thread who has had a negative reaction to the casting calls I can say that, for myself, I'm not jumping to anything. I find it slightly ironic that people having a negative reaction to something is overreacting but a positive reaction is rational and level-headed.

I have no judgement on the Stargate Universe itself. I won't one way or another until I see the actual end result. However, I do feel that having seen these casting calls that there is nothing wrong with having a reaction to them, whether positive or negative. While these calls are only a limited outline of what the characters may be and though they may change with the hiring of the actors, on paper they seem a bit cliche and superficial to me. I truly hope that that's not the case. I enjoy the Stargate franchise and would hate to see it tainted by some cheesy space opera populated by wild and crazy kids with the token paternal figure thrown in to the mix, kind of like Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell (oh that takes me back to my preteen years).

Like I said, things can often end up being very different in actuality from what they were on paper and hopefully that's the case here. Still, I don't think it's unfair to say that those casting sides don't instill in me an overabundance of faith.

[JThunder101]

A lot of people have been saying a lot of stuff about the initial descriptions of the new “Stargate Universe” characters. Some people are interested in how this new dynamic will work while others are saying they have “been there and done that already” with SG-1 and Atlantis and don’t seem to like anything about the new show.
I thought I would run through the characters (as described on Gateworld – knowing these may not be the final versions of the characters) and weigh some of the pros and cons of each.

Colonel Everett Young
A lot has been made about his being too much like Jack O’Neill. If you look at Col. Sheppard on Atlantis, you will notice he and Jack have a lot in common on how they approach things. I would even be willing to go as far as to say, in some instances, you could trade out many of their lines and they would fit each character perfectly. The difference is the actor and how they deliver the material and how they develop their characters. James Garner once said that a lot of acting is reacting. I think the key to Young will be finding the right actor to play the part where he shares a lot of traits with O’Neill, but has his own way of handling each situation. I like the fact he is protective of his people. I also like the fact he is married with a wife he is trying to get back to. I think that makes him different than O’Neill and Sheppard, who both came from broken marriages. I think his commitment to her and trying to get back to her will be an important part of his arc.


Tamara Jon
I like the idea of a medic getting thrust into full-time medical duty and not being prepared for what that entails. On SG-1, you had Fraiser and Lam as well as Beckett and Keller on Atlantis. All of these people were very capable. I think it would be interesting to see how Jon handles everything. I think that her being in over her head adds a bit of sympathy for the character. I also think it adds something when she can’t pull a miracle out of thin air. However, is this going to limit the kind of injuries they are going to portray? If she has limited medical knowledge, the whole group will be dead within a few years unless they come across an alien medical facility or a fountain of youth they can drink from and be healed.

Chloe Carpenter
Stargate has never had a regular character like this. How would you describe someone like this, a “social climber,” an “opportunist?” She had a clear plan for how her life was going to go and getting stuck on this ship throws a monkey wrench into the works. She strikes me as someone who has always made her own way through life and it will be interesting to see how she is in a situation where she has to regularly rely on this small group of people and they have to come to rely on her. I think this will be the first real type of family this character will have and I think it will be interesting to see how she grows and develops through her interaction with these people. I am wondering if she will be portrayed as arrogant or b****y or a combination of both. If both, then isn’t she likely to resemble Kara (Starbuck) on “Battlestar Galactica?”

Eli Hitchcock
I am guessing this guy is the “brain.” In where we had Sam Carter and Rodney McKay in the other series who were both at the top of their fields and very driven, I believe Hitchcock will be the opposite of them in that he has the ability but not the drive. He will have to develop it just so he can continue to stay alive on this ship. He will get thrust into having to solve problems for no other reason than it will allow him to stay alive another day. I think that will be an interesting dynamic to play out. I am worried the character might end up being too whiney at times.


Lt. Jared Nash
Nash reminds me of a mix of Lt. Elliott from “Proving Ground” and Ensign Harry Kim from “Star Trek: Voyager.” The new recruit who has all the training, but very little practical experience and basically gets thrown to the wolves his first time out. At times that may be a bit daunting as he tries to fit each situation into the guidelines of his training. This is one role that the actor is really going to have to bring a lot to the table. I hope the writers will keep up with his inexperience in the beginning and allow the character to grow. He can be an interesting character if the writers keep him going. If they are lax with him, he may end up another “Lt. Ford” and we all know what happened to him. For that matter, look at what happened to Elliott.

Ron "Psycho" Stasiak
I look at this character description and for some reason I keep thinking of Peter Lupus’ character, Willy, from “Mission: Impossible.” I like the fact he has a temper and is stuck on a ship with a small group of people and he has to learn to keep things in check. I am curious to see how they handle his dark “past” and how having to rely on this small group of people will effect him. I like the fact a Marine will be a main character. The other shows dealt mostly with Air Force and civilian characters. It is nice to see them bringing in other branches of the service in. I think it adds something of a different perspective in how his training to deal with certain situations clashes with the others. I hope the writers find a way to peal back some of his layers and show a more human side to him so he is not “silent” all the time.

Alien character/outsider
This point has been brought up in a number of posts. For some reason, it doesn’t seem the Universe team will have a resident alien. I think that is a mistake. I think they need someone to present that perspective. An alien is always a good counterpoint. Besides, who are they going to throw all the pop-culture references at?

In both SG-1 and Atlantis, the aliens were warrior types. If they do decide to do an alien for this show I think it would need to be something different. I would almost imagine a being who is a mix of a conman and Dr. Smith (from “Lost in Space”), someone who can cause just as much trouble as they can also help. It could be someone who has a completely different agenda than the rest, acts on it, but in the end this being is exactly on the same page as the others. In other words, he causes a lot of trouble, but in the end he helps the team meet their goals, but he does it completely his/her own way. I think a character like this would add more humor to the show.

An alien character could be someone they come across and joins them in hopes of trying to find his own people. The being could be a historian or archeologist who is chasing clues to some big mystery and ends up on the Destiny and acts as something of a guide/diplomat because he has a working knowledge of some of the stuff they will be encountering. (I almost imagine it like Galen from “Crusade.”)

It could be an assended being who got cast out, but not all the way like Anubsis, This being would have knowledge of the aliens they will encounter and so on. Maybe he/she has to regain their place among the assended by going on a quest and the Destiny just happens to be going their way.

It could be a kid who was taken from their family and this group becomes the only family they have ever had.

I am just throwing out ideas, but you get the notion of what I am thinking.

Villains
The heroes are only good as the bad guys they have to defeat. I am wondering if there will be one continuing villain throughout the show’s run or if they will have new different bad guys every season, due to the nature of the show. The Goa’uld had spirit and a lot of flash. I liked the Replicators because they were like a force of nature. The Ori had the whole rule by faith thing down. The Wraith have only come alive for me the past two seasons with Michael and Todd. Up until that point, I just didn’t think they were that interesting. Overall, I am still not entirely impressed, but I think they have taken some steps in the right direction. I am wondering how the villains of Universe will fit into the show’s premise and what kind of lasting impression they will make.

I think Universe has potential. I think it all comes down to how the writers will approach each character, the stories they come up with and the actors they get to play these parts. TPTB have done a pretty good job so far with casting so I will be willing to give this show the benefit of the doubt, but it will have to maintain a certain quality for me to continue to tune in every week.

[Jumper_One]

With regard to the ongoing discussion on the forthcoming Stargate: Universe - At the end of the day, it is, of course, up to you whether you give the show a chance or not but I feel the need to point out that, at present, those characters are simply names on a page and a long way from being fully realized. It’s easy to imagine the worst case scenario. As for the relative value of my opinion - well, that’s also something for you to decide on. However given the fact that I’ve been privy to details beyond the official casting breakdown and public statements made, I am speaking from a informed position. I’ve always followed the maxim “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” so you can be damn sure that if I didn’t think SGU had potential, you wouldn’t be reading my opinions on the subject.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...008-last-call/

[Jeff O'Connor]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...008-last-call/

Thanks, Jumper. I dropped him a line again, this time much abbreviated. Told him his words did a bit to help calm down a few of us, at least, and that right now, that's all anyone could have asked for.