Category: Michael Shanks

  • Saving Hope: Stars Erica Durance, Michael Shanks and Daniel Gillies Ride Wormhole to NBC!

    SavingHope-HeroShow -banner - Click to learn more atthe  NBC Network!

    Welcome back Michael Shanks, Erica Durance and Daniel Gillies fans!

    Saving Hope NBC banner - Click to learn more at NBC Universal!

    This evening something very special is about to happen on our television screens! From everyone’s friend, the great team at NBC Universal is bringing a fantastic supernatural science fiction flavored series called Saving Hope premiering at 9 PM E/P TONIGHT!

    Saving Hope S1x01 - Erica Durance ad Dr Alex ReidLong awaited by their fans, NBC has selected starring roles for many favorite celebrities, including several of our own, starting with the gorgeous and talented Erica Durance of Smallvile .

    Many will also remember Erica from the Stargate SG-1 episode “Affinity” when she portrayed a female friend of Teal’c known as Krista who suffered from domestic violence. Stargate SG-1 is where I first became enchanted with her acting, Ms. Durance is a perfect choice for the role of Dr. Alex Reid in the series. Saving Hope S1x01 - Michael Shaks as Dr Charlie Harris with Erica Durance

    The leading male character in Saving Hope is the outstanding actor, handsome and enigmatic Michael Shanks whom all remember as the often ascended archeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson in MGM Studios hit Stargate SG-1.

    Shanks is also known for many other roles on Syfy and as a guest star in another fan favorite series, Burn Notice. Shanks will portray a ghostly comatose Dr. Charlie Harris in Saving Hope. After suffering from a near fatal car accident which “attaches” his character to the “Hope Zion” hospital facility, the adventure is just beginning!

    Michael Shanks is also wildly anticipated at this years Creation Entertainment Stargate Convention is Chicago! We have no doubt this “doctor” will be a most interesting character in the series that he will share about at the convention!

    Saving Hope S1x01 - Daniel Gillies as Dr Joel GoranRounding out what appears to be the love triangle in the Saving Hope series is long time resident of Mystic Falls, Daniel Gillies from The Vampire Diaries portraying Dr. Joel Goran (a human being this time around) who has a long standing relationship with Durance as Dr. Reid. This ongoing crush will no doubt delightfully spice up the romance and good natured banter in Saving Hope.

    Bringing drama fans an exciting summer series for us all to enjoy, NBC describes the new program as follows:

    Saving Hope is a new, hour-long original drama series that stars Erica Durance (“Smallville”), Michael Shanks (“Stargate SG-1“), Daniel Gillies (“The Vampire Diaries”), Huse Madhavji (“Combat Hospital,” “Star!,” “Daily”), Julia Taylor Ross (“Rookie Blue”) and Kristopher Turner (“Rookie Blue,” “The Listener”).”Saving Hope S1x01 - Julia Taylor Ross as Dr Maggie Lin

    “The series is from acclaimed Gemini Award-winning producers Ilana Frank and David Wellington (“The Eleventh Hour,” “Would Be Kings,” “Rookie Blue”).”

    “In Saving Hope, when charismatic Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris (Shanks) at Hope-Zion Hospital ends up in a coma, he leaves the hospital in chaos – and his fiancee and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Gillies), Reid races to save Harris’ life. “

    Saving Hope S1x01 - Kristopher Turner as Dr Gavin Murphy“As the action unfolds, the comatose Harris explores the hospital halls in “spirit” form, not sure if he’s a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and those of their other patients as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive.

    “Saving Hope is produced by Ilana C. Frank Films (ICFF) with Entertainment One (eOne), in association with CTV and NBC. The series is executive produced by Ilana Frank and David Wellington for ICFF, Noreen Halpern (“Hell on Wheels,” “Call Me Fitz”) and John Morayniss (“The Firm,” “Haven”) for Entertainment One and Lesley Harrison.”Saving Hope S1x01 - Huse Madhavji as neurosurgeon Shahir Hamza

    Executive producers and showrunners are Morwyn Brebner (“Rookie Blue”) and Aaron Martin (“Being Erica”). The series was created by Malcolm MacRury (“Crash and Burn,” “Republic of Doyle”) and Morwyn Brebner. David Wellington directed the Saving Hope pilot.

    This exciting new offering by NBC also features solid veteran actors Benjamin Ayres, Wendy Crewson, K.C. Collins, and Salvatore Antonio to name but a few. Having seen the extended promotional trailers many times, we are more than excited to provide them courtesy of the NBC Universal’s Saving Hope publicity unit. We include all of them here in one special 28 minute HD promotional entertainment news video for your enjoyment!

    Believe when I say this is a show you do not want to miss!

    Click to visit and follow WormholeRiders News Agency on Twitter!Thank you for reading. viewing, listening and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

    Please feel free to leave a comment here or if you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article.

    Or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit WHR on Twitter, WHR on Facebook or visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story. I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side“!

    Thank you. Click to visit and follow WR_Systems (Kenn) on Twitter!

    Best Regards,

    WR_Systems (Kenn)

  • Stargate Universe: Season 2 Episode 12 “Twin Destinies” Analysis with Full Episode Video

    Click to visit Stargate Universe on Syfy!

    Welcome back Stargate Universe fans!!!

    Syfy Logo Chain Mail - Click to visit Stargate Universe on SyfyWow, this has been a while since I have written a review for Stargate Universe. Did you miss me?

    I know that last review I wrote was way back when with the season one tenth episode “Space”. That was a great experience for me as I have never ever accomplished something of sharing my perspectives like that before.

    Although I wrote myClick to visit the fabled MGM Studios at their official web site! “Space” review as a play-by-play of what occurred, this one is more of my impressions of what I thought about and of “Twin Destinies”. Several sections of “Twin Destinies” (directed by Stargate legend Peter DeLuise) are pointed out either as to what caught my eye the most or what I found especially entertaining. So be prepared that I may jump all over the episode with this review. Let us get on with the reason why you are here, my analysis.

    We start off with a meeting of all essential bodies discussing their options of fixing the Destiny. Unfortunately with no parts or any clue as to how to fix the ship, the only apparently viable option is what Eli Wallace (David Blue) suggests. That option is to dial the ninth chevron and go home to Earth while recharging Destiny in a sun!

    SGU S2x12 - Crew Meeting

    SGU S2x12 - Crew Meeting

    SGU S2x12 - Crew Meeting

    SGU S2x12 - Eli suggests dialing the ninth chevron

    Of course Dr Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) rejects that reasoning. Even if they did manage to dial the gate and go home, it could very well blow up the ship according to Rush. With no one really caring *mainly cause they would be on their way home*, Rush speaks up and suggests that some people may  want to stay behind with him and continue on the mission and journey aboard Destiny.

    SGU S2x12  -  Destiny command staff

    SGu S2x12 - Rush and Young

    Rush is one of these people that is hard to figure out. He started off as a very conniving individual who is hell bend on doing what has to be done as long as “his” mission is completed. Then later on you see that he does genuinely care for people until something or someone threatens his plans. Then as we have observed he goes right back to his old ways.

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies Robert Carlyle as Dr. Rush

    I had really thought that when he started “seeing” his wife Gloria Rush (Louise Lombard) and Dr. Jeremy Franklin (Mark Burgess) in the actual bridge, that he would lighten up a bit. And for a while he did. What was a surprise actually was Col. Everett Young (Louis Ferreira) siding with Rush in his decision to stay aboard Destiny. This actually shocked me more than surprized me. However that was a short lived change of heart in Rush as we soon discover. I wondered if we will see a real change of heart in “Twin Destinies”? Let’s find out!

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies Louis Ferreira as Col Young
    Why on earth would anyone what to stay aboard the Destiny when you have a way home is beyond me. Maybe Rush has got something to prove to someone, or to himself. Which I think is most likely. It is like he can never ever be wrong. And when someone does point out something that he might have overlooked, he gets agitated and lashes out to whoever is in close proximity.

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. Telford
    Of course every chance Col. David Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) could get to undermine Col Young  or especially Rush, he was going to do it. When they were all gathered in the gate room (the first time), Telford took the opportunity to have his say. Not sure if it would have worked or not, Young seems to have the backing of everyone on board. Well, almost everyone.

    Eli I have found has grown a lot since the beginning, and especially since the death of Ginn (Julie McNiven). He’s gotten more outspoken, especially when up against Rush in certain matters. We seen that when he stood up to Young after Rush was left on the planet, “well you should have thought of that before you got rid of Rush!”.

    Two of the best recent scenes occurred in “Twin Destinies” and both were hilarious. The first was the return of Dr. Bill Lee (Bill Dow) in an exchange of conscience mind with Eli via the Ancient Communications Stones when they talked about computer gaming. Leave it to the two great geeks of Stargate, Eli and Dr. Lee to discuss gaming during a crisis!

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies Bill Dow as Dr. Bill Lee

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies David Blue as Eli Wallace

    The second was a chat between Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman) and Lt. Vanessa James (Julia Benson) about Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett). The ladies including Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) were comparing Eli to the other genius’ of the Stargate program and were having a very hard time thinking past Dr. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks). Then they suddenly and a bit reluctantly recalled that McKay had leered at each of them in the past before the mission. (David Hewlett returns to reprise his role in the Stargate Universe episode “Seizure” to be aired in April 2011)

    SGU S2x12  - Chloe does not get the McKay joke

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies TJ and Lt. James talk about Dr McKay!

    These next set of pictures are taken from various places in the episode. I think that the special effects are nothing but brilliant. For someone like me that does not have a clue how it is done, Mr. Mark Savela and his team really out-do themselves in every episode. I mean, I understand the concept of the green screen when the actors are in the gate room and such, but this with the computer generated special effects are beyond me. I will just sit back and enjoy. I am completely amazed with the brilliance of his teams VFX work.

    SGU S1x12 - Destiny in FTL

    SGU S2x12  - Alternate shuttle coming out of the sun

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies - Destiny Eclipse

    SGU S2x12  - Shuttle on spare parts mission

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies - Destiny VFX

    OK, I do not know if you feel the same as I do or not, but does it creep you out that we have TWO Dr. Rush’s? When I watched “Twin Destinies” The geeky-ness factor (yes it is my new word for today) just went up a few levels! We have seen in the other two Stargate series (Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis) the usages of parallel universes and what happens when you have the same person in the one reality. Only goes to show how they make it different in each situation.

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies - Twin Rush's

    After the failed attempt to get the crew safely home and with two Rush’s on-board after the discovery of the second alternate reality Destiny, the only course of action was a salvage mission to obtain the spare parts required.

    With two Rush’s that means double the deception! Rush ‘A’ is bad enough, but having Rush ‘B’ as well, that is a recipe for disaster. Although with Telford being his usual charming self *snicker*, he and Rush ‘B’ got into a little dispute. I do not think that Telford had much respect for Rush anyway, though it makes one wonder if there were any differences at all from Rush ‘B’s reality compared to Rush ‘A’s. I used the concept of Rush ‘A’ and ‘B’ from Teddy and Ajay when they were discussing the episode on InnerSPACE on SPACE channel.

    SGU S2x12 Twins on Alternate Destiny

    Though we all know that you can’t push Rush too much, he will only push right back. And unfortunately for Telford, we see just that. But if you think about it, if we have two Rush’s, which Telford is this one? And for that matter, why didn’t Rush ‘B’ experience tropic cascade failure like Dr. Samantha Carter did in the episode “Point of View” from Stargate SG-1?

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies - Alternate Rush BBQ's Alternate Telford

    She was in the same time dimension as Major Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) in no time when she started having problems. You can’t have two of the same person in the same universe. Or can you?? I guess we are left to ponder that one. Or maybe they can answer that at the next convention they attend. If someone could ask that, can you please let me know the answer? 😉

    SGU S2x12 Twin Destinies - Rush is shocked by his own actions

    After Rush ‘B’ shoved Telford, the mere look on Rush’s face made me think that maybe he felt guilty of killing Telford. At one point, it looked like Rush was going to grab for Telford and save him (if that was even possible) when he was reaching out for him. Then of course when Rush ‘B’ realizes he can not help Telford, he leaves and heads off.

    Of course it does not help matters when Rush ‘A’ and Lt. Scott finds the dead Col Telford and hurries off leaving the young Lt behind. Again, same old Rush. It’s scary that even though they are from a different time, space and experience, they are still the same in all other aspects.

    SGU S2x12 - Mike Dopud as Varro

    Now I can never end off this analysis without adding my thoughts about Varro (Mike Dopud). Albeit he has a small appearance Mr. Dopud is still lovely to see as I am sure all the ladies agree!

    SGU S2x12 - Varro portrayed by Mike Dopud

    But no review of mine is not complete without having a nice butt shot of Varro from behind, LOL. I HAD to add in that picture for a certain someone who loves to look, LOL *wink*.

    SGU S2x12 - Varro bun shot

    Now as soon as I observed this, I couldn’t help myself but tweet something a little typical of me. I will tone it down here, because I never know who is actually reading this. But can you say “Varro a tad bit roasted.”? LOL

    SGU S2x12 - Varro roasted nuts

    At the end of the episode while the spare parts have been procured, the fate of the remainder of the crew is unknown. The twin Rush’s do the right thing with alternate Rush sacrificing his life to maintain control of alternate Destiny allowing Rush and Lt. Scott to barely escape.

    SGU S2x12 - Alternate Rush sacrifices to save Scott Rush Destiny

    As alternate reality Destiny is destroyed in the star and since only Telford actually made it to Earth, this leaves one to believe that the others were either killed or transported to another destination as a result of the unstable wormhole.

    SGU S2x12 - Lt Scott holds open Alternate Destiny Stargate

    SGU S2x12 - Rush runs for his life

    SGU S2x12 - Diving thorugh the Stargate to Destiny

    SGU S2x12 - Alternate Destiny destroyed

    The crew compliment of Destiny is now at a bare bones level!

    SGU S2x12 - Remaining Destiny Crew
    Support your local Stargate and make tune in live to find out what has happened and help boost the ratings. We thank you for your support. Stargate Universe returns with “Alliances” on March 21 in the United States and March 22, 2011 in Canada on the SPACE Channel. In the meantime we include the full episode courtesy of Syfy for your pleasure. Enjoy!

    WormholeRiders - Click to visit and follow WHR on Twitter!And again, thank you for popping by the WormholeRiders News Agency. Hope you come again. And I shall try to have the next one out sooner. You can leave a comment on here or you can message me, karenford1, on twitter by clicking on my avatar.

    Click to visit and follow Karen Ford on Twitter!Thank you.

    XO

  • Stargate Universe: As The Wormhole Turns – Go To The Mirror and “Share The SGU Love” Status Report!

    Stargate Universe: As The Wormhole Turns – Go To The Mirror and “Share The SGU Love” Status Report!

    Hello again Stargate fans!Click to visit the fabled MGM Studios on Twitter!

    Well, it’s been one week since my first blog was posted regarding my idea for the “Spread the SGU Love” (or “Share the SGU Love”) fan campaign to help garner positive feedback regarding Stargate Universe to The Powers-That-Be (TPTB) at MGM Studios.

    So far, what I’ve been hearing from fans is many went out and actually bought cards, while others made their own as I have been doing the last couple of nights as illustrated below! Others including educators and teaches have had their school classes make them to send off to MGM.

    Oh, and please click the MGM Studios Lion image above to the right to follow MGM on Twitter to demonstrate your support. Thank you!

    Share The SGU Love artwork by Marjorie Roden Stargate Universe - SGU season two wide banner Yes, some of us who love Stargate Universe are teachers. Using this as an art project is something I think is quite ingenious! Other fans have created some digital artwork for people to print off and use at their end for the “Spread The SGU Love” "Share The SGU Love" campaign. There are links for accessing the full resolution graphics below this paragraph. Simply click the images below to load the full sized versions. Many thanks to StargateZone (Sarah) and GCM4N (Mario) for graciously donating their digital artwork to our cause! Click to load the full size image Click to load the full size image Click to load full size image Click to load full size image The campaign news article I authored last week is not the only effort going on out there in our Stargate World. In fact there have been a number of them, and in this week's blog, I will highlight the ones that I've heard about on the internet, mainly through Twitter. Some that have been very effective at getting MGM Studios's attention.Click to visit and follow MeriJewel on Twitter! Click to visit and follow CherLuvYa on Twitter!I was inspired seeing CherLuvYa making a vote on Twitter for the Shorty awards for MGM in television, MeriJewel, another Stargate Universe fan, caught onto this idea in a big way. The Shorty Awards, going into their third year, are defined as “Honoring the Best Producers of Short Real-Time Content.” also known for sites that perform micro-blogging like Twitter. The method of voting is through Twitter, and many Stargate and SGU fans have been voting for MGM_Studios on Twitter for the Click to visit & vote to support SGU at Shorty Awards!#television category because of the Stargate franchise. However, there have been other great TV shows to come out of the MGM studios, so vote as often as you can while mentioning #ShareTheSGULove and #Stargate hash tags in this on-line competition. One can also vote for actors and actresses who have Twitter accounts like Alaina Huffman, David Blue, Brian J. Smith, Patrick Gilmore, MingNa, Jennifer Spence, Julia Benson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jamil Walker Smith, Peter Kelamis Julie McNiven, Kathleen Munroe and Mike Dopud. Several are all fairly high on the list. We also encourage you to vote as well for crew members and Stargate Univese creators such as Mandy Alexander McLean, Mark Savela, Sonia Gilmore, James Bamford John G. Lenic, Carl P. Binder, John Scalzi, Ivon Bartok, Martin Gero, and Joseph Mallozzi ... via his dogs Twitter account anyway! For more information, please click the text link or image banner below to read MeriJewel's article Click to visit Dork Info and read about The Shorty Awards! The website SGU Awareness is another outstanding site on the Internet which includes links to other campaigns in its blog. The atmosphere on this page is very positive, and their generosity with giving those links is outstanding! Click to visit The SGU Awareness Website! A new website has been in development called SaveOurStargate that launched just this weekend. SaveOurStargate is run by a group of Stargate Universe fans with a dedication to ensure that the MGM Stargate Franchise continues well into the future. Click to visit and learn more about SaveOurStargate! Last but not least if the SG: Unite fan campaign has a lot of contact info, including mailing and e-mail addresses, something that would prove to be very useful to get their attention in their e-mail in-boxes. As you scroll down the page you will find many useful Internet addresses and other contacts that might prove to be very useful to "Share The SGU Love".For now Learn more about Joe Mallozzi on his web log!Other very positive news came out of Joe Mallozzi's blog this week, it sounds like the creators and producers of Stargate Universe are far from throwing in the towel yet, which is why showing our support in as many different ways as we can – be it from taking part in any of the campaigns happening worldwide right now, to watching SGU on Hulu where the views, I've been told, also count towards total viewings statistics tallied by MGM Studios are important. I would also suggest even to purchasing Stargate Universe by going to the video store and buying a box set of DVD or Blue Ray discs. All of these will help demonstrate to MGM Studios that Stargate Universe is a series fans are willing to invesClick to visit and sign the find SGU a HOME Twittition!t their hard-earned dollars in. During a recession like the one we're in now, showing this to MGM Studios is huge! Finally, although I started this a few weeks ago, it did kind of get lost in the shuffle of the avalanche of on-line petitions which came out right after the non-renewal announcement. If you're on Twitter, and happen to have the time, please sign it! WormholeRiders. Click to visit & follow WHR on Twitter! As always we appreciate your reading this article and for visiting our news sites at WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a "Share The SGU Love" or "Spread The SGU Love" comment or a question here. We will respond to your comment or question as soon as is possible. If you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR or me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story and or I will See You on The Other Side at my FaceBook"! Thank you. Click to visit and follow Marjorie Roden on Twitter! Marjorie Roden

  • Stargate Universe: As The Wormhole Turns – Share and Spread The SGU Love!

    Stargate Universe: As The Wormhole Turns – Share and Spread The SGU Love!

    Hello Stargate fans!

    Stargate Universe - SGU season two wide banner

    Share the SGU Love. Image courtesy Stargate ZoneIt is an unfortunate fact some individuals out there have been cruel with their hate campaigns regarding Stargate Universe. However, we are putting that behind ourselves and only focusing on positive things.Click to visit Stargate at the Official MGM Website!

    With the “Share the SGU Love” fan campaign, the purpose is to help the Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios, the production company MGM for short, see the viability of keeping Stargate Universe on the air, we’ll remain positive, conducting ourselves in a very positive and giving way. We shall use one of the most concrete methods of getting attention: the postal system, or as some people call it these days, “Snail Mail” and use Twitter and Facebook to spread the word. We also use the hash tags  “Spread the SGU Love” as well as “Share the SGU Love” on Twitter.

    Click to visit and follow MGM HD on Twitter!On the business side of things, where can Stargate Universe be broadcast? MGM does have their own network, MGM-HD, which is available in the US. In Canada, the Space channel, which is owned by CTV, has been getting an average of 1.4 million viewers per night. Sky1 in the United Kingdom has also been airing Stargate Universe with 1.3 million viewers per night, and in Australia, the numbers have been very high for the viewership, coming in with 800,000 per night.

    The idea behind this mail-in campaign is to provide positive feedback & bring attention to and also give the head decision-makers at MGM Studios an idea of the numbers of the fans – as well as their geographical locations, and any other pertinent demographics such as gender and age – who want to see Stargate Universe stay on the air.

    You can write me by e-mail here Marjorie Roden

    SGU Destiny Stargate and crew in action!

    This might lead to a co-production with another network or broadcaster, or even inspire the decision-makers at MGM to go forth on their own accord to keep this 15+ year old franchise, which has been on the television since 1997, with the initial “Stargate” movie first coming out in theatres in 1994. The Stargate franchise has been earning MGM a great deal of money not only in the television rights, but also in sales of the DVD’s and most recently, the on-line iTunes sales.

    MGM Studios Stargate Universe 'Destiny'!
    First and foremost, in keeping with the theme of “Share the SGU Love”, we’ll start by sending Valentines’ Day cards to the m
    Spead The SGU Love. Image courtesy StargateZoneain decision-makers at both the main MGM Studios in California, and also to the offices at The Bridge Studios in Burnaby, BC, Canada, where Stargate Universe is produced and all of the elaborate sets have been built.

    In these cards, we will express how much we love this series and the stories told, and also make a point of stating where we are located, because a large part of what they, as studio executives need to know, is where the audience is located.

    As the mShare the SGU Love. Iamges courtesy StargateZoneajority of the fan base where the show has been getting higher ratings is in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, letting the decision-makers know this information, and to see who’s taken the time to do this, will make the people in these decision-making roles take notice.

    Secondary to this, which I hope many of the fans take part in, is to send Valentines’ Day cards to the producers, creative department heads of the series (in care of The Bridge Studios), as well as any writers, actors, etc, just to drive the point home to the decision makers how much we as fans appreciate the series, as well as the people who work day to day on the series, and how much we hope to see the series continue on in the future.

    2010 - Click to visit Bridge Studios Vancouver!
    I was asked why I felt including The Bridge Studios in this campaign was important. My method to this madness is quite simple: the series is shot in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, for the most part, at these studios. The people who work day to day on the episodes live in this area, and the non-renewal of Stargate Universe has most adversely affected the crew members, as well as their families. The team built at the Bridge Studios in Burnaby, starting with the original “Stargate SG-1” series created in the 1990’s, has been huge in creating the magic of the franchise. The idea of people making sure the love is “shared” is paramount, because there have been too many knocks the other way, and NOW would be the time to give everyone who has a creative investment in the series a much-needed lift.

    2010 SGU MGM The Stargate at Bridge Studios!Getting the attention of people in the decision-making roles is paramount, so sending the cards and/or letters to them in personally marked envelopes, with the individual’s name on then, would be a good plan. Subsequently, if people decide to send cards to multiple cast & crew members, mailing them in one large envelope – with each card in individual envelopes with the people’s names on them – to save on postage would be understandable. Bottom line, if you can afford to mail cards individually, to really make the mailboxes at MGM Studios and The Bridge Studios in Burnaby stuffed full of Valentines’ Cards, go wild!

    Be as creative as you like with the cards. Some have suggested sending “We love Stargate Universe” cards for the campaign, others have considered sending regular Valentines. The idea is to do this en masse, and to drive home the point that the number of fans out there who love this series is a big enough fan base to warrant giving Stargate Universe a third season (and possibly beyond). Be positive with your cards, and if you do have an individual story to tell (ie: if a certain episode really spoke to you in a trying time), include that in your card. These are the kinds of things the shows producers and creators love to hear. Also, I know of some fans who have offered to design a pre-made postcard, available on-line for printing. Links for this shall be provided once the card is designed.

    It is my hope that this campaign will get the attention of mainstream media outlets as well, because one of our other goals is to help MGM find some other networks to work with in the future. By bringing attention to both Stargate Universe and MGM Studios via the mainstream media would work for all parties involved.

    Stargate Universe Ice Planet episode "Water"

    If sending Valentines Day cards to the folks at MGM Studios and Bridge Studios is not your cup of tea, sending in positive letters to the bigwigs would be great, too. The main point is to get the attention of the MGM Executives, and let them see how large the fan base for Stargate Universe really is, so that the series is not outright canceled. We all love the storyline that has been so beautifully created by this creative team, and if any of the tweets from some of the actors are any indication, we are in store for a cliffhanger that will leave all of us howling and screaming for more.

    Now for the contact information, the mailing addresses are:

    Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios
    10250 Constellation Boulevard
    Los Angeles, CA 90067 USA

    MGM Worldwide Television Distribution
    2500 Broadway Street
    Santa Monica, CA 90404-3065 USA
    MGM Studios

    Corporation Purchasing
    240 Broadway Street
    Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA

    The Bridge Studios
    2400 Boundary Road,
    Burnaby, BC V5M 3Z3 CANADA
    The people we want to reach are:

    MGM Presidents, Vice Presidents, and CEO’s:

    Gary Barber, Co-Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of MGM
    Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of MGM
    Charles Cohen, MGM’s Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
    Gerald Ament, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Television and Legal Affairs (found on MGM’s website)
    Jim Packer, Co-President, Worldwide Television (found on MGM’s website)
    Gary Marenzi, Co-President, Worldwide Television (found on MGM’s website)
    Erik Lomis, President, Worldwide Theatrical Distribution, Home Entertainment & Acquisition (found on MGM’s website)
    Ann Mather, Head of the Board of Directors, MGM
    Steve Hendry, Senior Executive Vice President, Finance (found on MGM’s website)
    Michael Vollman, Executive Vice President, Theatrical Marketing MGM; President, Marketing, United Artists (found on MGM’s website)
    Board Members at MGM:
    Fred Reynolds, former CBS Chief Financial Officer, current MGM Board Member
    Jason Hirschhorn, former MySpace President, current MGM Board Member
    Christopher Pucillo, founder of Solus Alternative Asset Management, current MGM Board Member
    Patrick H. Daugherty, a partner at Highland Capital Management LP, current MGM Board Member
    Kevin Ulrich, CEO of Anchorage Capital Group LLC, current MGM Board Member

    Stargate Universe Production Team:
    (Most of these people are based in BC, so please send in care of The Bridge Studios)

    Series Produced by

    Brad Wright …. executive producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    Carl Binder …. executive producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    Robert C. Cooper …. executive producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    N. John Smith …. executive producer (20 episodes, 2009-2010)
    John G. Lenic …. producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    Joseph Mallozzi …. consulting producer / executive producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    Paul Mullie …. consulting producer / executive producer (40 episodes, 2009-2011)
    Martin Gero …. consulting producer (8 episodes, 2009)
    Alan McCullough …. consulting producer (8 episodes, 2009)
    Jennifer Johnson …. associate producer (25 episodes, 2009-2010)
    George Horie …. line producer (20 episodes, 2009-2010)
    Andy Mikita …. co-producer (20 episodes, 2009-2010)
    Linda McGibney …. supervising producer (19 episodes, 2010-2011)
    Mark Savela – department head, Visual Effects
    Sonia Gilmore — visual effects coordinator
    James Bamford — stunt coordinator

    Bridge Studios Visual Effects!
    If there are any other parts of Stargate Universe‘s production that you are particularly inspired by or drawn towards (ie: writing, make-up, set design), you can find the names of the department heads at IMDB.

    Some of the actors have their official websites and or fan club addresses which they can be reached at. However, if there are some whose addresses you cannot find, it can’t hurt to send any Valentine “Share The SGU Love” cards and or fan letters to them at any of the addresses listed above. It can’t hurt for the people at MGM Studios to know how much we appreciate their acting, can it?

    Click to visit the SGU Cast at MGM Dot Com!
    Have fun with whatever you send out, and remember, remain positive while you SHARE  THE SGU LOVE!!! All images courtesy to WormholeRiders News Agency courtesy of MGM Studios. Video of WR_Systems (Kenn) included below is the entire Comic-Con 2010 Stargate Universe panel so you can see just how wonderful the actors and creators are! Enjoy.

    WormholeRiders. Click to visit & follow WHR on Twitter! As always we appreciate your reading this article and for visiting our news sites at WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a "Share the  SGU Love" comment or a question here. We will respond to your comment or question as soon as is possible. If you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit TeamWHR or me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story and or on See You on The Other Side at my FaceBook"! Thank you. Click to visit and follow Marjorie Roden on Twitter! Marjorie Roden

  • Stargate Universe Canceled: A Sad Development As The Wormhole Turns – Is An Era Ending?

    Stargate Universe Canceled: A Sad Development As The Wormhole Turns – Is An Era Ending?

    Hello Stargate Community and Stargate Universe fans,

    Stargate Universe - SGU season two wide banner

    I would say good morning, but it really is not a good morning is it? We did have other news to post yesterday at 12 PM Pacific time, but frankly I did not have the heart to complete a story that was ready for publication. I realized that the news I had heard at the end of the day Wednesday December 15, 2010, likely to become reality, had in fact occurred. Click to visit the fabled MGM Studios!

    For the first time in 17 years the MGM StudiosStargate” franchise that has been spinning and taking us all on adventures to far away lands, planets, galaxies across the universe, the series franchise filled with action, romance, mystery and mythology may sadly be coming to an end.

    I can still remember my excitement in 1993 when MGM Studios announced production of Stargate (the movie). I was living in Austin Texas and could not wait to see the film. I and all my friends were even more excited when the movie became the Stargate franchise. Now after 17 episodic seasons it seems to be coming to an end, a potential end of an era of epic movies and series. I only hope that is not the case, but we are sad here today.

    We here at WHR are saddened that the announcement was made one year almost to the day that Stargate Universe was renewed for a second season. I believe I can say with 100% certainty everyone here at WHR are saddened. We have had nine reporters over the past two years write reviews about Stargate Universe and visit the celebrities and creators at Stargate Conventions. We are quite sad for the loss of employment for the most talented actors and actresses. In the world of entertainment these are some of the finest human beings you will ever know.

    Cast Banner - Click to visit SGU on MGM Dot Com

    We are sad that wonderful people we have had the privilege to meet and work with at MGM Studios and The Bridge are liable to lose their jobs.

    2010 - Click to visit Bridge Studios Vancouver!

    We are sad that the crews, publicists, agents, and perhaps the entire Stargate family of creators who may also lose their jobs, face unemployment. We are sad for fans who have supported the Stargate franchise for 17 episodic years and three Stargate movies. We are sad because there may be only 10 episodes left in what was planned to be a 5 year 100 episode series 2010 SGU MGM The Stargate at Bridge Studios!run. We are sad because the Stargate may stop spinning in 2012 after the last 10 episodes of Stargate Universe in 2011.

    Preparing for a long trip driving to Southern California to work, I did not have time to tweet very much. Texting and driving is not something any of us should be doing. I did however have wireless Internet access on my netbook and and looked at the tweet stream as much as possible via Tweet Deck. I also read a couple of articles when stopping for gasoline and food on the road.

    I also became very sad for another reason; a group of people running a web site called “SGU Sucks Dot Com” threw a virtual party proclaiming that their 15 month campaign had “paid off”. And no I am NOT going to hyper link that foul place!

    Many of these malcontents also tweeted about it and posted on several web sites. Over recent history, this despicable group of people has attacked the actors, the creators, the families and even the news sites which supported and reported on Stargate Universe (including WHR). Each time with foul mouthed glee since their misbegotten effort began in 2009. They also attacked the Stargate fans grabbing tweets and posting them for their hate filled campaign not realizing that they could be part of the end of the franchise for the foreseeable future as we have reported previously. I was sickened by what I read yesterday from these misguided and often hate filled individuals.

    I was however on the phone while driving. I was talking with members of the team (both ours and Stargate’s) about the greatest fear of virtually everyone on our team, including mine. Then it was confirmed by a second source: SyFyNew SyFy Logo - Chain Mail elected to not renew Stargate Universe for a third season in 2011-2012. I knew I had to drive to Los Angeles and put out a few tweets, one of which in specific seems to have angered some. That tweet was that I knew that Stargate Universe would be canceled. In fact I was not told directly. While I had made calls to certain sources at MGM and SyFy, I was only told “news would be coming soon”. It was the tone of the e-mails and phone calls that lead me to believe 36 hours ago that Stargate Universe was not going to be renewed.

    So when I said “I knew”, I erred and I apologize for that tweet. I did not mean to offend anyone. Nor will I  delete it, but leave it there as an indication that I chose the wrong words while on the road to Los Angeles for a reporting assignment.

    SGU S2x07 The Greater Good - Entrance to Destiny bridgeWHR was not told directly “Stargate Universe” is canceled until the SyFy public statement was released. What I “knew” was that the news of a business decision was “coming soon”. I shared my thoughts privately with few people. Sadly, the cancellation of Stargate Universe indeed seemed to be coming. This was at the end of the day Wednesday December 15, 2010.

    Despite the information which seemed to confirm the pending news, it is not the policy nor the job of WormholeRiders News Agency to post rumors. Nor is it our job to initially announce whether a series is renewed or not. We post facts subsequent to reading official press releases and then confirming same from at least two sources. This confirmation came at approximately 11:45 AM Pacific time, some 45 minutes after SyFy made a public statement which they later tweeted as well:

    “Syfy will end its original action-adventure series Stargate Universe when the show returns with the final 10 episodes of its second season in the Spring of 2011. The Stargate franchise — consisting of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe — has aired on Syfy since 2002.

    Syfy has a slate of new sci-fi/fantasy scripted projects lined up for 2011 including the series premiere of Being Human on January 17, the recently green lit one-hour drama series Alphas and the much anticipated Battlestar Galactica prequel pilot movie, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Warehouse 13, Eureka and Haven will also return with new seasons next year.”

    I was reading the public statement (which was sent to everyone at the same time) when Michael Ausiello tweeted the news and then (literally) all hell broke loose. At first I thought that Michael had blind-side2010 SGU Sgt. Greer at the Gate Courtesy MGM Studiosd everyone including SyFy, then I checked the time of the announcement. In fact SyFy had informed the actors and crews in advance with their public statement.

    The problem is that Twitter in specific exploded before people even had a chance to read the press release. In a way, it would have been nice for each actor and crew person to be told individually. However that is not possible. Why? While I do know that a few did find out officially, most saw it on Twitter first. But even if a round of calls or e-mails were made, the complaint would then become why did “they” inform “that” person or persons first?

    Is Stargate Universe season three announced as a series canceled by SyFy? Yes. Does this mean that the Stargate franchise is finished for the foreseeable future? Maybe. A lot depends on you the fans of Stargate. What can you, the fans, possibly do in a positive way to perhaps save the show?

    I would suggest that we all take a lesson from Chuck fans. Buy the Stargate Universe DVD’s and Blu-ray disks from MGM and give them as Christmas or other gifts. Download the episodes from legal sources such as iTunes.  Perhaps most critically, when Stargate Universe returns in April get everyone you know to watch the ten (10) un-aired episodes of the series LIVE (NOT DVR).

    Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do not send threats or foul language tweets or e-mails to SyFy. That will do no good. Instead demonstrate that you support the Stargate franchise and maybe, just maybe, the series will be picked up. A bonus for all of the Stargate fans in being professional? You may just succeed and we could possibly get those two Stargate movies that all would like to see!

    As previously tweeted, we will complete our reviews of every episode of Stargate Universe and finish adding all of them to the updated menu structure as soon as possible.

    Click to visit and follow WormholeRiders News Agency on Twitter!As always we appreciate your visiting our news sites at WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a comment or a question here. We will respond to your comment or question as soon as is possible.

    If you prefer, click the social media icons below to share this news article or as many of our readers and visitors often do, visit the WHR Team or me on Twitter by clicking the text links or images avatars in this news story.

    After a number of tweets thanking the creators, the actors, the crews and MGM Studios, I will see you all soon at the Hollywood Auction 43 and on “The Other Side“! Thank you. Click to visit and follow Kenn of #TeamWHR on Twitter!

    Best Regards,

    Kenn

  • Armageddon Expo: Auckland, New Zealand

    Click to visit Geek Heaven at the official Armageddon Expo web site!

    Hey scifi fans!

    First of all, apologies for the late report. It’s exam season in New Zealand right now, and everyone’s been pretty swamped in study.

    Anyway. Onwards and upwards!

    The Armageddon Expo was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from October 23rd to October 25th. A huge event, it annually covers all Click to visit the official MGM Stargate website!aspects of geekdom – anime, comics, gaming, and of course, sci-fi. Also wrestling. Heh.

    The original scifi guest line-up included Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis stars Ben Browder, Torri Higginson, Lexa Doig and Corin Nemec. Unfortunately many oStargate Atlantis Teamf them had to pull out, with good reason.

    Ben had actually managed to attend the Australian event just a week before, but he’d had to abruptly return back to the States due to a family emergency. Best wishes to him and his family!

    He was sincerely very sorry for not coming, and promised to be back at next year’s event!

    As disappointing as it was Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weirthat we missed Ben, Corin and Lexa… we were fortunate enough to Michael Shanks 2010welcome Michael Shanks and Torri Higginson (Michael’s first time in New Zealand)! You can’t really complain when you’re in the company of those two!

    I met up with the lovely Champa Maciel (JandyraCJM) early Saturday morning. I don’t quite know how she survives in New Zealand with that strong Australian accent! (CJ: “I can’t believe Zoe just said that!”) I joke!

    We went our separate ways for a while, and met up for panels and autographs.

    I heard she got pretty chummy with some of the Weta Workshop gang, which is great! Weta is a multi-award winning visual effects company, based in Wellington, New Click to visit and follow JandyraCJM on Twitter!Zealand. They, along with Weta Digital, have been involved in special effects for huge movie hits, such as Avatar, Lord of the Rings, District 9, Eragon, King Kong and many more. Amazing stuff!

    CJ: I’d popped by the Weta Workshop booth when we first arrived. I knew that the overwhelmingly cool Magnus Hjert (Marketing) would be there, and hey presto! We spent about twenty minutes getting to know each other face to face (we had been in cyber-touch, thanks internets!), and had a wonderful discussion about their work and humungous Hobbit battle. Magnus is a fantastic NZ/Swedish specimen; chilled, laid back, open and friendly.

    I returned later in the day to rendez-vous with the talented Greg Broadmore, lead designer (for weapons, vehicles and technology in ‘District 9’), who was clocked in for book signings. We had previously met at ‘The Art of District 9’ event in Wellington, and as soon as I approached, he stood up and shook my hand wiClick to visit Weta Workshopth “OH HELLO! How are you? Nice to see you again!”. Memory of an elephant! The following discussion was absolutely flooring. He had read my WormholeRiders report (“HOW?!” I said, “It was only posted yesterday!”). Thank YOU, Google Alerts. “Wow, you didn’t write just a little bit!”.


    We here in the world’s sheep-pen are fortunate enough to have such close access to the industry-shattering work these guys are accomplishing. The idea is to let others experience it from a distance, bring the continents closer together, to capture the essence of the atmosphere so that others can richly appreciate it as well. Greg was extremely enthusiastic and complimentary on the report, and made me promise to keep in touch with them. Wonderful guys!

    On top of which, Greg himself never falters in his creative zeal. He is constantly producing books of his spellbinding art work, most recently steam punk designs, and watching him doodle the most incredible, sprawling cartoons across the signing page of a book in two minutes flat. Well, it was just jaw-dropping! If anyone is interested in his work, or any others on the team, please visit them at www.wetanz.com.

    Also, the ‘One’ Ring from the famous trilogy was on display, amongst many other film memorabilia. DROOL!

    Zoe: Torri’s panel was the first event of the day! We went in expecting a quiet, polite, gentle woman. Oh. My. Frelling. Gosh. That woman is irresistable.

    Click to visit CJ on Twitter (@JandyraCJM)

    You expect her to be reserved and in control like Weir, but noooo. She’s more ‘badass’ (and CUTE) than a ninja turtle on a motorbike! During her panel she said something (which I can’t really quote here…AHEM!) that landed her in the biggest national newspaper in the country. She’d clapped her hand over he mouth and said “there aren’t any children in here are there?! Don’t tell anyone I said that!” and two days later she was quoted in our national newspaper. Let’s just say, it was Hobbit-related, so the audience welcomed her comments with a joyful uproar! That poor woman! We have audio-recorded the panels, and are in the process of transcripting, so we’ll have those coming to you in a couple of weeks.

    Now, photo ops. Michael Shanks. I have to say, in Stargate SG1, Daniel Jackson was an instant hit with me. I started watching in season 10, when I walked in on my daddy watching Family Ties. The dynamic between Daniel and Vala was the first thing that hooked me on the show. So meeting him was a pretty big deal! And he was amazing. He was more awesome then I’d thought he’d be. He was constantly joking, smiling… and hugging! Just saying-when that man hugs you… he doesn’t let go! Not that I’d want to let go or anything… but when I let go, he didn’t. Also, he tends to initiate the hug without you asking. It was petrifying.

    Michael Shanks Photo Opportunity

    Anyway, I won’t bore you with the details of my photo op. I love how photo opportunities at conventions in New Zealand are so long! Mine took a full five minutes, so I manage to get lots of quality time. Oh! I have to mention this, though: After the photo, I was walking back to my friends, when a random con-goer grinned at me, breathed in deeply and remarked “YOU SMELL LIKE SHANKS.” Weirdest/most awesome part of my day. I swear. I didn’t even know what to say. I think I just stood there twitching. “…thanks?” I’m never washing the tank top I wore on that day though.

    Wow, that sounds unbelievably creepy.

    People! Everyewhere!

    CJ: Zoe, unbelievably creepy! Just kidding. The autograph sessions with Torri and Michael were a bundle of positive energy bursts! Michael is such a… well…a dude. He had his beloved cap on, ruggedly groomed…totally duded out! The guy is wonderful. It may be an actor trait, but he talks to everyone so openly, so warmly, and he’s so extremely down to earth. It was his first time in New Zealand and he was mightily excited about doing some sightseeing.

    And Torri…well..Torri had mentioned her adoration for Shakespeare at her panel (She had just finished performing ’Much Ado About Nothing’) So I mentioned it to her, and how we had just finished performing ‘Macbeth’. WELL. From that point on it was all hounds on the loose! We squeed and geeked out over Shakespeare, theatre and literature for about seven full minutes. I glanced at Torri’s handler to see how she was taking it, but Ms. Handler just had this great big grin on her face, almost as splitting as the grins that were breaking our own.

    We then mentioned that we live in a wine country region of NZ: Torri practically drooled, and made me swear I’d bring her a bottle or three next time she visits. The woman LOVES New Zealand, she was so excited about her visit, but more on that in her panel discussion. I asked her, please, not to judge as I’m from Australia (ZOE!!!), so the dear woman wrote on our photo “I love NZ! (and Aus ;))”. Squish!

    Besides which, she was babbling in geek heaven at being so close to Hobbiton– enormous fan right there! It was a bubble of joy to meet her, the loveliest, giggliest, sweetest woman one could ever meet; Sincere, humble, generous and absolutely in love with her fans! You actually just want to clamber awkwardly over the table and bundle her up in the most gigantic huggle possible.

    Imagine watching your favourite Scifi show on this beast

    Zoe: Torri’s autograph line moved the slowest. She makes sure to have a proper conversation with every single person, and she’s just the loveliest person ever! I have to say, I did not expect such a bright personality. She’s just so great, and so funny! She’s actually got to be one of the loveliest actresses I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. When I went to get her autograph, there was no line… (I have a system) … and she was just sitting there. I walked up to her, and BOOM. She was asking me questions about school, about life, about New Zealand… she’s just a gorgeous person to talk to! Torri actually attempts to make proper conversation, and she’s just so adorable. Her Canadian accent is super-strong. I love it!

    Also, the presence of Michael Shanks totally compelled me to buy an autograph. I wasn’t going to…but I did. It was nice talking to him again for another long while, though! HE’S SO FUNNY. I seriously love how much personal time we have with the stars at this particular convention.

    Now unfortunately on day two of the event, I’d woken up with a monster headache. I couldn’t even function. So I missed Shanks’ panel. Which was devastating… I HEARD IT WAS HILARIOUS. *sigh* Champa covered it though, so she’ll be able to fill in my blanks. Also, Shanks was (apparently) wearing a really nice long sleeved top and his hair was scruffy… even MORE devastating. He was wearing a hat in both of my photos. He seems to really like that hat so I didn’t have the heart to ask him to take it off. It would have seemed like I cared more about the photo than the actual experience otherwise.Click to visit Miracle Laurie at her official website!

    CJ: First up on the menu, we attended the panel hosting the gorgeous Miracle Laurie (Yes that IS her real name) of Dollhouse fame. Miracle plays the character of November in the wonderful Joss Whedon series, and she was just a joy from beginning to end! Amidst a barrage of interesting anecdotes and questions, the actress was absolutely overcome by the presence of two cosplay fans (dressed as Elmo and Cookie Monster), and begged them up on stage for a photo.

    The giggles were endless! Miracle commented on the irony of her character’s name, which coincides with her wedding in November, 2010. Congratulations Miracle! We hope her fiancé enjoyed the mass video of Miracle’s cheering Kiwi audience!

    Click to visit CJ on Twitter (@JandyraCJM)

    Miracle discussed her Pacific Island blood (on her mother’s side), and she had brought along her Poi for a fun demonstration on the stage. For those not in the know, Poi is a type of danced performed by Pacific Island women and girls, and is hugely performed in NZ by the Maori people. It utilises two balls, swung by a piece of string from each hand, and takes great skill and coordination. Miracle was roared for a demo, and conquered the feat with aplomb to the resounding cheers around the hall. That girl can DANCE!

    Michael’s panel was just uproarious laughter from beginning to end. From the very first moment he lumbered painfully onstage (he was running typically late, and turned up bleary-eyed, scruffy, with a paper cup of coffee clutched in his hand), to the devastating close of his happy hour, everyone was in stitches! The panel was moderated by a Kiwi television celebrity, who warmed the crowd up deliciously in preparation for the tumultuous fun of Shanks. The panel swept by all to quickly, and everyone booed at the untimely conclusion. STAY TUNED FOR TRANSCRIPT.

    Click to visit CJ on Twitter (@JandyraCJM)

    Zoe: I was back on day three of the convention, which was a public holiday, if anyone’s wondering what I’m doing out of school on a Monday. But I’d skip school for a convention any day.

    I got my photo op with Torri on that day. I must say, I liked it! She was said “let’s do something silly!” and we both have our tongues out. She was extremely chatty! And adorable. She recognised me from Saturday and the first thing she said was “HEY CUTIE!” *grin. pause. straight face.* “Go study.” …I seriously have so much love for her. She has so much personality, it’s painful. Every time I saw her during the weekend, she was always making jokes and acting like a total goofball. Shucks she’s amazing.

    CJ: SHE REALLY IS!

    Lunchtime was spent finding Wally...

    Zoe: Later on in the day, I was talking to the same lady who had told me I smelled like Shanks. And she’d looked through all the photo ops and she said “no one really got a full blown grin from Shanks… they were all so tight lipped.” RIght. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

    Anyone catch the Barney Stinson tone there? No? OK.

    So I got another photo op. I did. And I managed to make him laugh. So he’s laughing in my photo op. Challenge beaten. I love Shanks. I really do. Both the guests were so amazing! Also, I adore the photographer at this convention. He messed up the camera like three times during this op. In the first picture, Shanks blinked. He brought the camera up to show both of us. THAT IMAGE WILL FOREVER BE BURNED INTO MY BRAIN. Shanks is laughing and his eyes are shut and… it was actually so funny. I’m laughing just thinking about it!

    In the second picture he’s laughing a little less but at least his eyes are open. I wasn’t allowed to get a copy of the first picture… unfortunately. But that’s okay, I have a mental image that will make me laugh for the rest of my life. I don’t even know what was so funny about it. I’ve just never seen super-photogenic Shanks take such a flunky photo before.

    Also, after this photo op, my friends were eating at the café, so I was on my way to meet them… and was tweeting about the op, when I accidentally bumped into someone. I exclaimed “OH MY GOSH I’M SORRY!” and the guy said “oh no sweetie, my fault.” in a really nice British accent. I adore British accents more than anything. I was a little taken aback. I started thinking “whoa, this guy is pretty old, but he’s weirdly attractive in some aspects…”

    Armageddon's very own Burning Man

    And then he smiled and looked like he was about to say something when a fangirl came bouncing along and yelled “PAAAAAUL CAN I HAVE A PHOTO!?” He half grinned at me and excused himself. I was kind of shocked, not knowing what happened. Apparently that was Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor from Doctor Who.

    WormholeRiders. Click to visit & follow WHR on Twitter!HOW DID I NOT KNOW THAT!? I’d seen pictures, but normally he had long hair in photos. Now his hair was cut and it was all nice and…erm… normal. Aw man! I should’ve said more, but still, he was so lovely.

    We’ll have full transcripts coming up in the next couple of weeks. Thank you guys for reading!

    I hope this report wasn’t too personal for you all.Click to visit and follow Superrhuman (Zoe) on Twitter!

    SuperrHuman (Zoe) & JandyraCJM

    Asia-Pacific Team

  • A Dream Come True at Creation Entertainments Los Angeles TriCon 2010!

    A Dream Come True at Creation Entertainments Los Angeles TriCon 2010!

    Hey Convention Fans!

    Well the time is almost here for the fantastic Creation Entertainment MEGA convention in Los Angeles featuring celebrities from Stargate Universe, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Farscape, Firefly, Serenity, Buffy and Dollhouse!

    As is traditional here at WHR we have created a Music News Series feature to prove that this is NOT a dream, it is your dream  come true. ZOMG! This is an event not to be missed! I mean really, simply look at the celebrities in who will be in attendance!

    Stargate Convention Los Angeles by Creation Entertainment! Farscape Con Los Angeles by Creation Entertainment! Click to visit the LAX Marriott home Creations MEGA Con!And speaking of being there, tickets are still available at the door of the event. If you are in the Los Angeles area starting Friday November 05, 2010 through Sunday November 07, 2010, do not miss this wonderful opportunity to meet over 18 of the most famous science fiction celebrities of all times! Simply call the luxury Marriott Hotel near LAX Los Angeles at (310) 641-5700. The Marriott LAX is only about a five (5) minute drive from LAX to 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles. If you are a science fiction fantasy fan you are in for the time of your life! Yes it is all coming true in less than 24 hours and we here at WHR are looking forward to providing robust coverage deploying a senior team of reporters and editors including ValaBlack, MeaganSue, SciFiFanGirl616, OffWorldTravelr and myself. This number of staff is equal to our deployment of reporters for Comic-Con San Diego earlier this year to bring you exciting LIVE coverage. Click to visit and follow WormholeRiders News Agency on Twitter! As always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a spam free comment or question here or click one of the social media icons below to share this article. if you prefer (as so many of our visitors do) you may also visit and follow WHR on Twitter or Facebook with your comments or questions. Our team hopes to see you all join the fun in Los Angeles this weekend at Creation Entertainments TriCon convention event! Best Regards, Click to visit and follow WormholeRiders (Kenn) on Twitter! Kenn

  • Dynamic Damsel Definately Does Dragon*Con!

    Hello Dragon*Con Fans

    Dragon*Con 2010 Hotel Logo!

    This was my first year attending Dragon*Con and I have to say that I immediately decided I had to go again next year. I arrived in Atlanta on Thursday Click to visit DragonCon!(without any airplane problems) and was able to pick up my registration after only waiting in line for about an hour and a half (a very short time). After that it was just exploring the various hotels and waiting for people to arrive.

    Dragon*Con 2010 - Gleeful crowds!

    Friday brought about the first official day of Dragon*Con and with it two Stargate panels and lots of waiting in line. The first panel I attended was Exploring Other Galaxies with Paul McGillion and Martin Gero, a great panel with just the two of them.

    Martin gero and Paul McGillion at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Funny Martin Gero & Paul McGillion at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Both were incredibly funny and were very happy to be there; Especially Martin Gero, who was great at answering all the questions thrown at him and Paul. He is quite a funny and easy going guy.

    The second Stargate panel was aptly named “Back to the Beginning: SG1” with Ben Browder, Christopher Judge, Martin Gero, John de Lancie and Corin Nemec. This was the only panel that Christopher Judge was a part of and he definitely made his mark. There was a lot of joking and laughter had by all the panel members and the audience.

    Corin, Martin, John, Chris and Ben at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Corin Nemec, Martin Gero and John de Lancie!

    Chris Judge and Ben Browder at Dragon*Con 2010!

    During the down time between panels I did a lot of wandering and people watching. Some of the costumes that people make and wear are absolutely outstanding. I really could not believe the time and effort thousands of people in to their costumes. Here are a few of my favorites:

    Gumby and Jabba the Hut

    Gumby and Jabba the Hut at Dragon*Con 2010!

    It was quite funny watching Jabba run after Gumby so he could get a picture taken with him!

    Rita Repulsa and the Green Ranger

    Rita Repulsa and the Green Ranger at Dragon*Con!

    This had me VERY excited! Wonderful Power Ranger costumes!

    Men In Tights cast

    Men in Tights casty at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Great cast photo, especially Blinkin!!

    Jurassic Park cast with myself & Pip (dannysgirlsg1)

    Tara and Amanda at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Saturday came with one Stargate panel in the early evening so there was a whole lot of time to get autographs at the Walk of Fame. The Stargate panel was titled “Letters From Pegasus & Beyond” with Michael Shanks, Lexa Doig, Ben Browder, Jason Momoa, Paul McGillion, Alaina Huffman and Martin Gero.

    Michael Shanks and lexa doig at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Martin Gero and Ben Browder at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Jason Mamoa, Alaina Huffman and Paul McGillion!

    The panel was, again, a lot of fun, made all the better with the addition of Lexa Doig, who was not supposed to be at that specific panel.

    Saturday evening I attended a special screening of Kevin Sorbo’s movie “What If”. The movie was absolutely brilliant and Kevin was amazing. If you get the opportunity to see this movie, I highly recommend it. It is currently showing in several cities and you can request a showing at The What If Movie . After the showing all the attendees were able to have their photo taken with Kevin and get his autograph. All in all, it was a wonderful experience.

    Kevin Sorbo and Tara at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Sunday morning I attended my first non-Stargate panel, Andromeda, with Kevin Sorbo and Lexa Doig. The panel was a lot of fun and it was great to see Kevin and Lexa together again and hear some of the behind the scenes stories and what they’re currently working on.

    Lovely Lexa Doig of Andromeda at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Kevin Sorbo of Andromeda at Dragon*Con 2010!

    A few hours after the Andromeda panel was another Stargate panel, “A Three Gate Circus“, with Michael Shanks, Lexa Doig, Jason Momoa, Jewel Staite, Paul McGillion, Alaina Huffman and Martin Gero.

    Jewel, Martin, Alaina and Lexa at Dragon*Con 2010!

    Paul McGillion, Jason Mamoa, Michael Shanks at Dragon*Con!

    Monday brought the last Stargate panel of the Dragon*Con, Multiverses, with Ben Browder, Paul McGillion, Jason Momoa, Jewel Staite and Martin Gero. The panel was at 10 AM, so needless to say everyone in the room, from the actors to the audience, were a bit tired. It was a wonderful way to end the weekend with a wonderful panel which included some quoting from Ben about Farscape and Jewel discussing her time with Firefly.

    Martin, Jewel, Ben, Paul & Jason Dragon*Con 2010

    My first experience with Dragon*Con was an overwhelmingly positive one. The hotels were great, as were all the people and guests. It was a lot of fun attending the panels and meeting people I’d only ever talked to online, as well as, people I’d never met before. It truly is amazing how WormholeRiders. Click to visit & follow WHR on Twitter!conventions bring people together. It was also wonderful to meet the guests in the hallways or elevators and have them genuinely pleased to meet you. This was absolutely wonderful and I will definitely be going back next year.

    Thank you for reading about my first Dragon*Con experience here at WormholeRiders News Agency. I would welcome your comment or you can visit me on Twitter by clicking my text link or avatar below right.

    Regards,Click to visit & follow TaraLee2 on Twitter!

    taralee2

  • Taming the Dragon: My Dragon*Con 2010 Adventures

    Huzzah Dragon*Con Fans!

    dragoncon banner

    R2D2

    Supergirl

    Not to play favorites, but of all the conventions I attend, Dragon*Con is my favorite. Ok, so I am playing favorites. Whatever! I’m allowed! It’s an awesome convention. If you’ve been, you understand. So… this was my third year at Dragon*Con. I was looking forward to seeing a lot of Stargate actors as well as Pierre Bernard, Jr. Pierre happens to have been on Stargate too, but he’s better known for his Recliner of Rage skit on the Conan O’Brien show.

    Alien cosplayer

    Alright, so I flew up Thursday for the con with two of my con buddies. They are also fellow squirrels (fans of David Hewlett). We were all sad to learn that David Hewlett was not be able to attend the convention but I understood these things happen. Maybe our Squirrel King could go next year?

    After checking in to my hotel and getting my badge I walked around the con hotels for a bit and ran into old friends. Thursdays are good for that. Then I decided to donate blood. I do it every year and am proud to say we donated more blood than Comic-Con. Woot! Go us! Plus I got an awesome Dragon*Con blood donor shirt. I think every year the shirt will get you into the ice cream social for free so if you love ice cream and love saving lives… DONATE!

    Click to visit and follow Stargate Track on Twitter!After that I had dinner plans with Pierre! It ended up being a group of Pierre’s friends and squirrels. Pierre joked about being married to Click to visit and donate to the Lupus Foundation!me and he ended up adding some more wives I think. This is the stuff that happens when Pierre is around. He’s a keeper! At dinner Pierre reminded me that he would be doing sketches for the Stargate Multiverse Track Room for the Lupus Foundation charity (DONATE!). He’d made me promise I’d let him sketch me when I’d met up with him at ComicCon. I told him I wouldn’t miss it. I knew I had to go to the Stargate Mutliverse Track Room party Friday night or Pierre would never let me forget it.

    Friday

    The first panel was Paul McGillion and Martin Gero. Anyone who knows about Stargate Atlantis might find the irony in these two being on a panel. Gero is the one “responsible” for killing off Carson Beckett. Yes, I want to shed a tear here. I’m a huge fan of Carson’s. I cried bitterly when he was killed off. And the word “Sunday” haunts me now. It’s an episode I can’t watch. So, I wondered how the panel would go. I knew the fans would probably ask some pertinent questions of one Mr. Martin Gero. No question who would be sitting in the hot seat for this panel.

    Martin Gero & Paul McGillion at Friday morning panel

    Martin Gero

    And almost right off the bat the two start joking about not speaking since Carson was killed on Atlantis. I also want to mention this was Martin Gero’s first time at Dragon*Con. I was disappointed he didn’t have a spot in the Walk of Fame. I would have bought his signature and maybe even a picture! Paul said that his character on Sanctuary will be back and people who hate him even more. Oooo! I’m intrigued! I love to hate a bad guy. Especially when the bad guy is played by such a sweetheart like Paul. When asked about David Hewlett, Paul said he’s just like his character, Rodney, on Atlantis, but is more annoying in real life. Also, according to Paul, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles of Supernatural are Stargate fans. Who knew?!

    Paul McGillionn

    Martin didn’t say much about the Stargate Atlantis movie, Extinction. He did confirm that Paul McGillion will be in the movie.

    Martin Gero

    Paul McGillion

    And all too soon the first panel of Dragon*Con was over. However there was plenty of good stuff in store for me. I ran into Pierre and managed to have lunch with him and some friends. Then I headed to the Walk of Fame. I really wanted to get Chris Judge’s signature. I’d never met him so I was really looking forward to it. Teal’c is one of my favorite characters from the Stargate franchise. Chris couldn’t be nicer. He’s got one of the best smiles. It’s hard to believe he’s Teal’c. I mean, Chris is only similar to Teal’c in that they’re both good men. Other than that they’re like night and day.

    After the Walk of Fame I headed back to the next Stargate panel. For some reason we were spoiled and had two Stargate panels in one day. I don’t know if that’s been the case in the past. The panel had a lot of big names for Stargate. The panel was Chris Judge, John de Lancie, Ben Browder, Martin Gero and Corin Nemec. I’d heard Chris Judge is hilarious at panels. The rumors are ALL TRUE! He had me laughing so hard. I felt sorry for John having to deal with our crazy Stargate boys. Chris admitted to being a Big Bang Theory fan. Martin Gero said he’s a Friday Night Lights fan and was behind on the show. Then Ben Browder told Martin a spoiler. Too funny to see Martin squirm and yell, “Spoiler! Spoiler!”

    Chris Judge and Ben Browder

    Corin Nemec and Martin Gero

    John de Lancie and Chris Judge

    The panel covered a lot. From when we can expect the Stargate Atlantis: Extinction movie to how to know if an actor is really good or not. Martin said it’s hard to say when we can expect the movie. John said if you want to know if an actor is conveying the emotions turn the sound off and just watch.

    Martin Gero and John de Lancie

    Chris Judge and Ben Browder

    Corin Nemec

    Then the panel was over. It seemed like ten minutes but it had been a full hour. I was sad until I realized I had the Stargate Multiverse Track Room party that night. Exciting!!! Pierre would hopefully be sketching me. I headed back to my hotel room, got all dolled up and then walked the thousand blocks to the Sheraton where the track room party was being held. Ok. It wasn’t a thousand blocks. But I had on some killer heels and it seemed like a thousand by the time I got there.

    Stargate Track Room

    whovian99 with Pierre Bernard, Jr.

    At the party were tons of squirrels and other friends. Some of us squirrels got in front of the green screen to do a Stargate group picture. It was pretty cool because they had Stargate uniforms to wear if you wanted. They even had weapons! We decided not to dress up since there were so many of us. After the group picture Pierre was ready to sketch me. It was a little odd to be sketched. Pierre kept staring at me and I kept wondering if I had broccoli in my teeth. Yeah, it feels like that. However, when done it was all worth it. I have a beautiful sketch now! I love it. Pierre was very, very kind to me. I think I look like a Barbie or a Disney princess. Which is a big compliment to Pierre. As a little girl I wondered if I could be a Barbie doll. Not Barbie but one of her friends. And I still wouldn’t mind being a Disney princess.

    Pierre Bernard with whovian99 and the finished sketch

    After the party I headed back to the Marriott’s bar and restaurant, High Velocity to meet up with friends. We usually hang out there at night since it’s such a great place to people watch. I got the fantastic news that the track room party raised over $1,000 for the Lupus Foundation. Go Stargate fans! Then I called it a night. Saturday was going to be another busy day and I needed to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

    Saturday

    Click to visit and follow tehbella on Twitter!Thanks to my lovely assistant, Katrina (tehbella on Twitter), I learned that Corin Nemec will be on Supernatural this season. He also said he was going to be a lead actor on Atlantis but the powers that be decided to go in a different direction. I think I would have liked Jonas Quinn on Atlantis. I actually liked his character on Stargate SG-1.

    Next up on my agenda was a Stargate Mega Panel. Now, waiting in the longish lines I do I’m used to be asked, “What’s this line for?” Sometimes people are trying to line up a bit early and don’t want to get in the wrong line. A guy walked up to me and asked what I was waiting in line for and I told him Stargate. He said, “Oh. Ok… uh, what’s that?” *sigh* And once again I’m reminded I’m a massive geek. Which is ok, because the non-geeks out there are really missing out on some fabulous stuff.

    Michael, Lexa, Martin, Ben, Jason, Alaina and Paul

    Jason Momoa, Alaina Huffman and Paul McGillion

    The mega panel had Jason Momoa, Alaina Huffman, Lexa Doig, Michael Shanks, Martin Gero, Ben Browder and Paul McGillion. I was super excited about this panel. Before they brought the guests out Jen, the track room leader, introduced a guy named William. No one knew who he was. He came out on stage and Jen said he had a question for someone. He got down on one knee and asked someone named Jessica if she would marry him. Seriously AWWWW!!! She said yes. I’m such a sucker but that was a sweet moment. And such a great way to start the panel. Wherever you are, Jessica and William, if those are your names, I wish you the best. I suggest you get married under a Stargate. I would!

    Michael Shanks, Lexa Doig, Martin Gero and Ben Browder

    Alaina Huffman

    Paul McGillion and David Hewlett on a stick :D

    Once they brought the guests out I was thrilled to see Paul McGillion hold up my David on a stick. He said, “Let’s talk about David Hewlett. Oh wait, he’s not here, let’s not.” And he put the David on a stick down. It was a way of getting at least a piece of David at Dragon*Con even though he couldn’t be there. I just want to say that David was missed and he would have made the whole experience this year at Dragon that much better.

    Jason Momoa

    Ben Browder

    The panel was even more fun than the last. Jason was busy bothering Alaina and Paul, while Martin and Michael were all very snarky. Jason talked about a practical joke he played on David Hewlett. Trust me, I wish I didn’t know about it. I will spare you the gruesome details. And they are quite gruesome. Paul joked that he and Jason were both up for the part of Conan. Paul reminded Jason that he can kick Jason’s butt. Actually, I don’t think he’s kidding there. I’ve heard Paul is quite the accomplished wrestler. Just keep in mind never mess with him.

    Jason Momoa and Alaina Huffman

    Martin Gero and Ben Browder

    What shocked me was learning Martin Gero used to work at Starbucks. Anyone who knows me even a little knows I’m a massive Starbucks addict. I knew there was something I really liked about Martin! He can make me my grande iced caramel macchiatos with extra caramel! Yes, this is how my brain works.

    Michael & Lexa

    I love the banter between Michael and Lexa. At one point Michael got snarky with Lexa and she moved all the way at the other end to sit with Paul. But she “fell” out of her chair and Paul had to “rescue” her from the floor. I’ve heard other fandoms have something called “serious discussion” panels. I am not familiar with that term. And I hope I never am. Because the type of panels I love are the hilarious ones. The Stargate fandom does not disappoint! Even if you’re not a Stargate fan I think you’d enjoy their panels. Unless you’ve had your funny bone surgically removed.

    How crazy was the panel? Well, Jason literally brought out beer to drink. A bucket full of beer, actually. And he ended up drinking them all before the panel was over. Michael said he would send Paul out to the crowd to hug everyone. And Michael told the tale of how Lexa scared Ian McKellen (Gandalf) because she got so excited to see him. Yes, apparently even stars get star struck. Then Jason ran off stage only to come back a few minutes later with more beer. That’s right, more beer!

    Lexa Doig

    After the panel Lexa was kind enough to take a picture with her twitter minions. I hear they are now called crickets. Ha ha. So… I’m a squirrel AND a cricket? Oh dear.

    Pierre texted me wondering if I was up for some karaoke. Now I know what you’re thinking: Where is the video?! Well, let me tell you all about Saturday night. I dub it the night of con party hopping. We set out to a place nearby that had karaoke. Once all of us get inside (I think there were like ten of us) and we sit down Pierre looks at me and says, “Ok. How do we do this?” Bwuah? I’ve never actually done karaoke in public so I had no clue. Turns out, only one of us in our group had done karaoke before Saturday night. Although I’d like to say she was the only one willing to admit it. She went up and found out it was a two hour wait. We bailed and looked for the next party.

    We were told of a Firefly party at the Westin. So to the Westin we marched! Outside of the Firefly party I saw what I thought was a person dressed as a candy corn. That was until someone in my party yelled out, “A giant Jayne hat! Whoa! Cool!” Then I realized it was a Jayne hat. I’m sharp like that. We walked into the party and realized it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for. It was packed but there wasn’t much dancing and it seemed a bit too loud for talking. So we went in search of the next party!

    Right down stairs (so convenient) was a party going on that sounded like it might be fun. Techno music was booming and inside it was dark but people seemed to be dancing and wearing glowing necklaces and bracelets. Pierre asked and was told it was free for anyone. So we all went inside. Uh… let me just describe what was inside the dark-lit room: a couple people dancing, a DJ and his assistant, someone dressed up like a lizard person doing something that could be described as dancing and an ironing board. No I’m not joking and actually I hadn’t been drinking. An ironing board was set up in the corner. Why? I was afraid to ask. So, we left to find a better party.

    Dancing at the Star Trek party

    Star trek party dancers

    The Star Trek party was more our speed, it turns out. We did some dancing and I was able to get a screwdriver at the bar. Woohoo! We hung out there for a while then decided we all had our fill of dancing with Klingons and Star Fleet personnel. We headed back to our usual spot at the Marriott and did some more people watching. This time Pierre came with us. And he ordered dessert and let me eat some. What a way to end the night.

    Sunday

    I checked out the vendor rooms. The first booth I saw was Her Universe. If you don’t know about Her Universe I am all too happy to tell you! It’s a clothing line for geek girls like me! Right now they’re doing Star Wars. I was able to speak to Dan Madsen about it. He says they have plans to expand. They have signed a deal with Syfy so we may be seeing products for shows like Eureka, SGU, Sanctuary and Warehouse 13. They’re thinking of Stargate, Lord of the Rings and others to be included in the line. I ended up buying a pretty cool Darth Vader thermal hoodie. I can’t wait to wear it this winter. I’ve also heard they have light saber lipstick. So keep checking www.heruniverse.com for more products for us fan girls. Squee!

    SGM Asst. Track Director, Jason, Michael, Jewel, Marti, Alaia and Lexa

    The Sunday panel included Jason, Alaina, Michael, Martin, Lexa and Jewel Staite. I don’t know if I’ve attended a panel with so many women. It was another funny panel. When Jewel discovered Alaina was on twitter she said, “Oh! I’ll follow you!” At one point Alaina was asked if she was worried about TJ given Stargate’s history with killing off doctors. She was quick to point out that TJ is NOT a doctor and NEVER will be. Which made everyone laugh.

    Martin Gero and Alaina Huffman

    Jason Momoa

    Lexa had apparently never heard of the Syfy movie Sharktopus. She had to clarify, “Sharktopus?! Is that what it’s really called?” Yes. It’s really called Sharktopus. Good times! Jewel said that you can always count on David Hewlett for a sandwich. Unless there’s one sandwich left. That sounds like the David I know and love.

    Paul McGillion crashes the panel & Jason Momoa

    In the middle of the panel Paul McGillion crashed it. And just when I was thinking the panel needed more Paul. Excellent timing!

    Michael Shanks and Jewel Staite

    Jewel explained the difference between Nathan Fillion and David Hewlett. Nathan’s a prankster, David’s a whiner. And there you have it! In case you had trouble telling them apart. Ok no one had trouble telling them apart. But poor David. He wasn’t there to defend himself. Maybe that will teach him a lesson. Just kidding!

    Paul, Jason and Michael

    Michael, Jewel and Martin

    Right after the Stargate panel was the Stargate Multiverse Track Room Auction. I’m very proud to say that for the past couple years the Stargate auction has brought in more money than the Dragon*Con auction. Stargate is the only track room that has an auction separate from the rest of the con. In other words, we rock! The goal was set high for us this year: $10,000. But we had an ace in our pocket: Paul McGillion would be MCing for the first hour.

    Stargate Auction

    If you’ve never been to the auction at Dragon*Con you seriously don’t want to miss it. I remember not wanting to go the first year because I thought it would be boring. I was so wrong! The auction is very exciting and I wouldn’t mind taking home some of the items up for bid.

    zat gun made by QMX

    The auction this year did not disappoint. Paul would “tease” participants by asking why they didn’t like the babies, because it was for the babies. Actually it’s for Lupus. But that didn’t stop Paul. Martin Gero donated some very cool art that brought in a nice chunk of change. We quickly broke $10,000. Then QMX came out with their announcement. Evidently they have an employee suffering from Lupus. They wanted to donate something special to the auction. They have designed an actual Zat gun. Well, not one that can actually shoot people. But it’s an exact replica from the ones used in the series. When available for purchase the zats will be around $1,200-$1,500. However for the auction we were able to bid on the prototype zat OR the first one off the line. The bidding started and quickly was out of my price range. It went past $1,000 and kept climbing. Before I knew it the zat was at $5,000. The two people bidding ended up making a deal, one would get the prototype and the other would get the first one off the line. The auction just brought in another $10,000!

    Stargate Multiverse Track Room Auction raises money for Lupus

    I want to take a moment and say I’m so proud of us Stargate fans. We were are generous, wonderful people. I’ve been proud to contribute every year to whatever the charity is. However I have a cousin with Lupus and so this charity in particular is important to me. It did bring tears to my eyes to see how much money we raised. Congratulations! Job well done!

    Game night was next on the agenda. I watched friends play Stargate themed games and I sat and vegged out. I had one day left of the convention and I was hoping I’d have the energy to make it through. I had to laugh when they announced that someone had lost a goa’uld symbiote.

    Pierre poses with David Hewlett's Squirrels

    Monday

    I woke up feeling a bit exhausted. And I had to pack. Bleh. Not my favorite part. I may have mentioned this before but I really hate packing. I’m not sure what’s worse: packing to go some place or packing up to leave some place? Each have their problems. I packed quickly and decided to head off to the last panel so I could get a good seat. I could finish packing after the panel.

    By the time I got to the Marriott the line was already out the door. Ugh. I sat down outside and waited in the chilly morning air. Soon I was inside and hearing the great news: Stargate fans raised $28,075 for Lupus! Go us! Seriously awesome!

    Paul McGillion and Jason Momoa

    Then the panel started. I literally laughed out loud when Ben Browder told his elevator story. One thing Dragon*Con is famous for is elevator stories. Ben said he got onto an elevator and a guy got on cosplaying as John Crichton. Ben was excited to see him until he realized the guy didn’t recognize Ben! Awww, poor Ben. Then Jewel told her elevator story. She got on and there were several people already on it. A man asked her if anyone had ever told her she looked just like Jewel Staite. The other people laughed and the man said, “She does. It’s a compliment.” Aww, poor Jewel! That’s exactly the sort of thing I imagine would happen to me if I was famous.

    I learned that puppets are the biggest divas of the acting world. Ben filled us all in on it. They have a huge entourage and are highly protected. Ben said that if something happened to the million dollar puppet the show is screwed but if something happens to him they’ll just get another white guy. Then he told us a story about working on Farscape. He had the idea to fake punch the puppet. He told the puppet handlers but not the puppet master. When they shot the scene he ran up behind the puppet and punched so it looked like he’d hit the puppet in the head but really he missed. He said while they’re still rolling he hears off stage, “NOOOO!!! NOT THE PUPPET!” I cracked up when I heard that.

    Wesley Crushers like from The Big Bang Theory

    And then the last panel of Dragon*Con was over for me. I wanted to cry and then I remembered something! I had an interview with none other than Pierre Bernard, Jr.! I went back to my hotel where I was meeting him and finished packing. Then I headed to the lobwhovian99by and found Pierre. He was looking for a way to get breakfast. We were able to set aside some time and I interviewed him. Yes, he says he’s my husband. Legally? No, he’s not. But don’t tell him I said so. He gets irritated with me when I don’t go along with him. So as far as YOU know, Pierre is my husband.

    Before I knew it I was all packed up and on the Marta on the way to the airport wondering where the last four days went. This was a crazy convention. But aren’t they all? Until the next one! Thanks for reading and as always feel free to leave a comment here or you can reach me on Twitter. Just click on my twitter name whovian99.

  • Shanks to Meet You! An Interview Experience with Mr. Michael Shanks at Dragon*Con!

    This year at Dragon*Con, I had the privilege to conduct an interview with Michael Shanks with his expressed permission and kindness. Click to visit DragonCon 2010!Seated on the other side of his autograph table (like the devoted ‘reporter’ and MS fan that I am), we were located within the Walk of Fame with his expressed permission and the documented position with regard to an official Dragon*Con letter dated August 26, 2010. Mr. Michael Shanks allowed me the opportunity to interview him and observe first hand his interactions with fellow fans coming up to express their opinions and overwhelming regard for him as an actor and human being.

    WormholeRiders. Click to visit & follow WHR on Twitter!I have been reporting on Mr. Shanks professionally for over 6 years at numerous conventions where my deportment and presentation has always been above reproach as evidenced by numerous reports and news articles I have published including here and here for WormholeRiders News Agency.

    This interview with Mr. Shanks was the result of great effort by many parties involved that assisted to make this report possible. I thank all those who contributed positively for the opportunity to interview Mr. Shanks. As a whole the interview took place over the course of two days Sunday and Monday September 5 and 6, 2010. I will admit, due to issues that no one would like to hear about, I was a bit unprepared (question-wise) when Mr. Shanks expressed interest and approved to do the interview right then and there at his table. Therefore this portion of the interview is extemporaneous in nature.

    The first thing that came to mind for me to ask was what he could tell about his current work on Smallville, where he is returning as the amazing superhero Hawkman (aka Carter Hall).

    Michael Shanks as Hawkman in Smallville!
    The character is set to make his next appearance in the episode ‘Shield’, premiering October 1st in Smallville on the CW, a Warner Brothers company. According to Mr. Shanks, we will find Carter Hall in Egypt hunting down Lois Lane. There, Carter tells Lois of hisClick to visit Smallville on the CW! relationship with Shayera and how it parallels Clark’s relationship with Lois. Hall informs Lane that Clark will need Lois down the line if he is going to succeed in his endeavors. Mr. Shanks also said that he is going back to shoot another episode later in the season, though he didn’t know the name of the episode at the time.

    Michael Shanks as Hawkman and Lois Lane in Smallville!

    I next asked Mr. Shanks about what other projects he is working on. He started talking about Red Riding Hood, a Warner Brothers film Click to visit Warner Brothers Pictures!which just wrapped shooting up in Vancouver featuring  such well known celebrities as Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Julie Christie and Virginia Madsen. Mr. Shanks plays a blacksmith in the movie. I had found out at Creation’s Stargate Convention in Chicago that Mr. Shanks went through actual blacksmith lessons for the role.

    Mr. Shanks told me he could not say much about the project – that they were being all ‘hush, hush’ about everything, even call times. With the whole internet age today, where everything is being leaked online, the studio wants to make sure that stuff stays under wraps until the very last minute. I agree that rumors do not belong since we here at WHR deal with vetted facts.

    Michael Shanks at ChiCon 2010
    At this point, due to last minute approval by Mr. Shanks of the interview, my lack of proper question preparation started to show (which I apologize to all about) and I asked Mr. Shanks some more ‘everyday’ type questions. I asked his opinion of the Vancouver Canucks (we are both fans) for this coming season, and he believes they will do well. With the additions they picked up in the off-season, he has high hopes for their success (but mentioned, as every Canucks fan knows, that is how it always is up until that second round in the playoffs). I inquired into his personal taste in music (simply because it is something I have not really seen much about before on the internet) and Mr. Shanks said he likes lots of different types of music, but is really into the head-banger stuff. “It confuses his kids”, he said, because it is not like what his wife Lexa Doig prefers at all. He made mention of Linkin Park specifically, which gave me a sense of personal joy because Linkin Park is also one of my favorite musical bands.

    During the interview all questioning was done in breaks between people coming up to his table to get autographs or just have a moment to talk with him. Being able to observe the interactions of Mr. Michael Shanks and his fans from the outside was a whole new, and enlightening, experience for me as a reporter. I was honored that Mr. Shanks allowed me the privilege of watching of people as they come up and thanked him for the many characters he has portrayed in his acting career. Even more interesting was how Mr. Shanks inspired each of them to choose the path in life that they did.

    Michael Shanks as Victor with "Michael" in Burn Notice!

    Many people came up and thanked him for his portrayal of Victor on Burn Notice and for Hawkman on Smallville. One lady mentioned how she had yet to watch the season 2 finale of Burn Notice, ‘Lesser Evil’. I made sure to share with her  to ‘be prepared’ when she watched it (but to definitely watch it), and then informed Michael as the lady walked away that I cried when Victor died. As is expected by the fandom with Mr. Michael Shanks, he gave a gleeful snarky reply in return saying ‘Well, I think anything could make you cry. You pull out your nose hair and you cry!’

    Dr. Daniel Jackson with Camera SGU Subversion!
    Another woman came up and informed Mr. Shanks that she had pursued a career in linguistics because of his portrayal of Daniel Jackson in MGM’s Stargate Franchise. He told her he was ‘sorry’, which I know from personal experience is his usual humorous reply to such things, and she let him know that she is mocked relentlessly by her friend – who, ironically, is named Daniel Jackson. Michael thought Click to visit Stargate on MGM Dot Com!this was interesting and mentioned how he had yet to meet one himself. It was not too long later that a guy came up in line and started speaking to me, asking me if I was just a really big fan. I joked with him, saying I was a Michael Shanks groupie, and he got a kick out of it.

    He then informed me that he was coming up to see Michael Shanks because he enjoyed his work and because his name was Daniel Jackson! Knowing what had occurred not too long before, I was tempted to say something, but did not want to ruin the moment for either of them. So I waited anxiously as Daniel came up to Michael and introduced himself. Michael Shanks loved it himself, turning to me and pointing while stating: “there he is!” We all wanted to see some proof, but “Daniel Jackson” was prepared for this and had his I.D. almost at the ready to prove what he was saying.

    It was these experiences, and others that day, that inspired me later on in the evening (after leaving Mr. Shanks table) to come up with additional journalistic questions that I could ask him the following day. Keep an eye out for Part 2, where I will feature such questions and happenstances that occurred in my second encounter with my Michael Shanks interview experience for WHR.

    Before I end, I would like to thank first and foremost Michael Shanks for giving me this opportunity to interview him in such an ‘off the cuff’ manner. I would also like to express many thanks to all my fellow convention goers who I had the opportunity to chat with while at Mr. Shanks table, none of whom minded my presence there. It is out of respect for these fans, as well as for Michael’s extreme generosity, that I did not record any of this interview to video.

    As always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a spam free comment here or as many people do, feel free to visit me on Twitter by clicking the text links or my avatar below.

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