Today marks an epic day with the return of Eureka for the second half of season four to round out a twenty-two episode season starting this evening on Syfy. This series move so quickly it will be difficult to share too much without spoiling. However we will try to share a few details about what is going to happen without ruining the premiere this evening.
Perhaps the most fun aspect of being part of the Eureka review and news team here at WHR is that we have long wanted to cover this wonderful series. However until recently we simply did not have a sufficient number of seasoned writers and mature adults dedicated to the task to do this series justice.
You see, in our professional opinion, doing justice to a long lived series such as Eureka (as we have done for others) requires dedicated individuals who understand when to take their “fanboy” and “fangirl” hats off in order to focus on the hard work of sharing creative insights as well as interpreting the single effect of the creators, producers and actors with others not so fortunate to be able to do so.
Let’s start with a series of videos introducing the great cast directed by Mike Rohl shall we?
Before we begin our season 4.5 coverage with a look at on of entertainments most vibrant celebrity actresses, Ms. Felicia Day of The Guild!
What I can share with you is that Eureka does indeed have a liftoff of sorts if you had a chance to see our sneak peek Comic-Con news story with clips featuring Neil Grayston and Niall Matter and more.
Even funnier at the very beginning, Eureka also has several aborted liftoff procedures or events. You will just have to see for yourself!
A bit later in this fantastic episode you will find out why poor Andy had to be carted off on a horse and just what the heck Neil and Niall were doing in the [REDACTED] in the first place! Perhaps funniest of all is a reconciliation at the very end. I am still cracking up watching Colin Ferguson, Erica Cerra, Kavan Smith, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Joe Morton, Niall Matter and participate in the fun of “Lift Off” and am sure you will too!
Last but certainly not least, one thing that I can share with you outright without revealing the story arc is that of all of our most favorite actresses, Ms. Ming Na makes a wonderful guest starring appearance in “Lift-Off”! I cannot tell you how Ming Na fits in the story arc, however the question we should all consider is does she return in season four episode 12 “Reprise” and beyond?
To get that answer, make sure to tune in to Eureka season 4.5 every Monday at 8 PM E/P 7 central in the United States on Syfy! Thank you.
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 the WHR team look forward to and will be Seeing You on The Other Side“!
I say welcome because I have only recently formed a news and review team here at WHR to report on Eureka that includes myself (ArcticGoddess1 om Twitter), Chad Colvin whom you may know from Gateworld, and Kenn, owner of WormholeRiders News Agency. We will be bringing you some very special items in the course of our news coverage of the series. We will be adding additional members to cover this great series by Syfy in the near future.
As we move into the second half of season four, I would like to share my thoughts about where Eureka has been and where it is going with you. Season four begins tonight in the United States on Syfy at 8 PM E/P 7 central.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time? Would your presence in the past change the future? And if it did, could you live with the changes? This is the premise of the first half of season four of Eureka. Our intrepid heroes are thrust back in time to the year 1947 by accident.
Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) meets Dr. Trevor Grant (James Callis) for the first time. Grant is a scientist and colleague to Albert Einstein and co-creators of the Einstein/Grant Bridge, a device that is supposed to allow access to time travel, and the means to Sheriff Carter’s appearance in 1947.
As the story progresses, Carter discovers that Dr. Allison Blake (Sally Richardson-Whitfield), the woman he’s loved from afar since the beginning of the series, has been thrown back in time as well. We find her working to save the life of a man who becomes key to the story later on.
Meanwhile, Dr. Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston), one of Eureka’s scientists, and Jo Lupo (Erica Cerra), Carter’s deputy, also find themselves in 1947 where they are arrested and thrown into jail together; and Henry Deacon (Joe Morton), a semi-independent tinkerer/genius, has hidden in plain sight as a mechanic.
Working together with Trevor Grant, they all return to the present to discover a few changes to their community and to them. Cleverly, the creators begin each episode that follows with Jack Carter’s voice-over explaining the changes, “It was just a normal day in Eureka. Yeah, like that was going to last. Hello, 1947. Confused? Let me clarify.
The five of us got transported back in time through some wormhole thingy thanks to The Bridge Device. We eventually found our way back home, but, surprise, home wasn’t exactly the way we left. Henry, married. Zane and Jo, never dated, but Jo is in charge of GD security. Kevin, different, much to Allison’s surprise, and Fargo, head of Global Dynamics, much to everyone’s surprise.
Oh, and Dr. Oldspice hitched a ride with us back to the present. But there is one crappy rule: We can’t tell anyone. If people ever found out about our trip, there would be trouble. And I finally kissed Alison 63 years ago. But of course, Dr. Charles Grant had to get in the way. Oh, and let’s not forget the Bridge Device. We cannot rebuild a bridge back to your time (Henry to Dr. Grant) and even if we could it would be potentially catastrophic. Yeah, that is never good. That’s Eureka for you, little town, big changes.”
So begins Season 4 of Eureka with the two episode premiere of a newly styled Eureka, entitled Founders Day, and A New World. Consistent through the first ten episodes is new semi-regular character, Deputy Andy (Kavan Smith) who spends a fair amount of time getting electrocuted, caught on fire, tossed over a destroyed highway bridge, and other acts of mayhem committed on our poor robotic deputy!
Another semi-regular occurrence is that the Sheriff-mobile (police cruiser), which also gets destroyed fairly often! I was beginning to wonder just how many vehicles the show’s producers had commissioned. It is a useful way to get rid of Sheriff Carter’s vehicle if he’s about to get something much more updated.
Of course, there are lots of high tech devices introduced in the town of Eureka. There is a belligerent robot called Tiny with an “unnecessarily creepy design”, a cute little robot that shares love where-ever it goes, infecting several devices including Carter’s house as well as Deputy Andy.
As the episodes progress, Jo and Zane begin to warm to each other and Allison and Carter keep a friendly distance. Naturally, Allison is wooed by Dr. Grant, which irritates Carter. Henry’s new wife, Dr. Grace Monroe (Tembi Locke) can’t understand why Henry is acting oddly. Fargo, the only person without a regular love interest, is being bullied by General Mansfield (Barclay Hope). Fargo does have a brief fling with Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) from Warehouse 13, for the first cross over episode in season 4, but, of course, it does not last, nor does Henry’s relationship with Grace. He begins to fall in love with her, but once he shares that he’s come back from an alternate timeline, their relationship cools.
Carter’s daughter, Zoe (Jordan Hinson) appears in several episodes. In “Stone” she seeks the advice of Jo Lupo about a new guy she is seeing. The new guy turns out to be Zane, and much to her great disappointment, Jo discovers the relationship. Meanwhile, Henry has found a way to begin courting his wife. He arranges to sing and dance to “She Blinded Me With Science” (Thomas Dolby, 1982), sweeping Grace off her feet. There are two revelations in this episode; the relationship between Zane and Zoe, and the return of Beverly Barlowe (Debrah Farentino). There is also, at the end of the episode, one heck of a kiss between Carter and Allison.
Enter Adam Barlowe (Elias Toufexis), the man from 1947 who Dr. Grant and Allison saved in the season premier. He is also Beverly Barlowe’s father. Back in 1947 Adam Barlowe and Dr. Grant were planning to go back in time to eliminate the discovery of the Atomic bomb. Now, Beverly is planning to take advantage of Dr. Grant. This episode, “The Ex-Files”, was one of my favourites. It saw the return of Nathan Starke (Ed Quinn), the “bane” of Carter’s existence, and Tess Fontana (Jamie Ray Newman) Carter’s old girlfriend.
A chance event between an experiment between Grace Monroe and Henry and an Electromagnetic weapon, under wraps at G.D., create hallucinations of people from Carter’s, Allison’s, Fargo’s, Jo’s and Grant’s past. When Allison asks Grant who he’s seeing from his past, rather than tell her he sees the image of Dr. Barlowe, he tells her he sees a tall leggy blond in a slinky red dress, a clear reference to the Baltar character he played on Battlestar Galactica. Dr. Grant’s character is not all that far off from his character of Baltar, although his speech accent certainly is.
Both are underhanded and conniving, although, occasionally, Grant does the right thing. His relationship with Beverly Barlowe leads him into the wrong camp; the bad guys. We also discover that Zane gets blamed for Grant’s actions ending up in the Eureka jail and literally “watched” by Deputy Andy.
For Stargate fans, a bit of trivia; the coffee shop where Dr. Grant and Beverly Barlowe often meet was also used in Season 10 of Stargate SG-1 (Memento Mori). Vala Mal Doran takes a job as a waitress in the same coffee shop when she loses her memory.
By episode nine Carter and Grant are again accidentally thrust back into 1947 where we not only watch Carter and Grant attempt to fix things with their alternate selves in 1947, but we also see more of the back story of Grant’s relationship with Adam Barlowe. Through the use of a clever plot device where Carter sends himself a message in the future, he manages to save the girl (Allison) and foil the bad guy (Beverly Barlowe). Grant comes out of it as a victim. So does Zane, who is cleared of charges against him. Jo and Zane share a kiss, only to have Zoe step in to continue her relationship with Zane. At the end of the episode, exit Grant, a rich man thanks to some stock investments he made back in 1947. Beverly, of course, is still loose and is planning to target Carter.
Finally, in episode ten, you could almost assume everything is fine now as Carter sits down with some of the younger residents and tells a tale of a Christmas past with everyone in the same role as we left them at the end of the first half of the current season. As Global Dynamics celebrates the season with its company holiday party, staff member Dr. Noah Drummer (Chris Parnell) nearly absconds with a volatile experiment.
The halls get seriously decked when Dr. Drummer’s unstable hydrogen crystal starts to grow at a frightening rate. Carter and Henry attempt to deal with the potentially explosive crystal, but before long the true scope of the problem is revealed, and it will take more than tinsel and carollers to save Christmas in Eureka (we include the holiday episode below courtesy of Syfy via Hulu).
Meanwhile, Taggart (Matt Frewer) has returned as Eureka’s favourite dog catcher/problem creator. He’s working on a self propelled Santa’s Sleigh. Naturally, Sheriff Carter saves the day and there are plenty of warm and fuzzy moments involving a secret Santa. This episode, “O’ Little Town”, is full of Christmas cheer and good humor. And while we might have to be prepared for a measurable amount of sappiness and Christmas spirit to permeate throughout this episode, the writers do a good job of keeping the episode relevant for future viewing, no matter what changes to canon occur down the road.
The first ten episodes of season four were virtually a brand new show. New characters are introduced and some old characters we thought were gone have returned. With all the changes, the only thing that seems to remain the same is the town of Eureka itself; more or less. The producers and writers kick things up a notch with the creation of an alternate future and a new story line.
With 22 episodes ordered and only ten episodes aired, Eureka promises to be a very different show than what we have seen before including a great new series regular Niall Matter as Zane Donovan. Personally, I also hope for more episodes with the smarmy Nathan Starke (Ed Quinn) highlighted.
Eureka airs each Monday evening on Syfy at 8 PM E/P 7 central time. I know you are going to enjoy season four’s first episode “Liffoff” tomorrow. In the meantime we include the epic ninth episode of season three “I’ll Be Seeing” you courtesy of Syfy via Hulu!! Enjoy!
Please feel free to leave a comment here, click an icon below to share this interview or you can visit and follow me on Twitter by clicking on my avatar to the right.
Friday night I packed up and headed into Seattle to meet up with my friends before the auction. I met up with one and then we ran to the train station to pick up a couple more Stargate fans. We went out to dinner and toured Seattle chatting Stargate the entire time. Upon returning to where we were staying we headed to bed early so that we could get up early the next morning.
Saturday
The next morning we got up early and headed over to Fremont for a quick bite before we went to the auction. Since it was one of Seattle’s rare sunny days we opted to walk the few blocks to the EMP/SFM. As we walked into the museum we were immediately greeted by Tomin’s Ori Warrior costume.
Turning the corner you headed up the stairs to the auction. The stairway was lined with metal conduit with scattered blue and yellow fluorescent lights. It gave the whole stairwell an air of being in hyperspace (especially if you took them at a run) by the end of the weekend I kind of hated those stairs.
At the top of the stairs you were greeted by a piece of the Atlantis Stargate and various Earth technology.
Throughout the main level they had hundreds of items laid out for viewing. To one side they had the Puddle Jumper’s cockpit set up, complete with chairs. To the other side they had the General’s office from the SGC and throughout the weekend I saw many people taking pictures behind the infamous desk. They also had several Daedalus class consoles arranged into a mock bridge area.
Upstairs overlooking the main auction space they had many costumes set up as well as some weapons including Zat’nikatels, Wraith Stunners and Anti-Replicator Guns. Costume wise they had a selection of various races including SG teams, Furlings, Wraith and Ori Priors. The level of detailing on the costumes was amazing. Below is Vala’s Ori Village and an Ori Villager’s costume.
Down in the main auditorium the auctioneers were more than willing to joke, chat and generally have fun interacting with the crowd. I had never attended this kind of auction before and the auctioneers made it a blast. The auctioneers were Mike Grigg, Jeff Stokes, Paul Britton and Brian Goodwater.
At one point on Saturday Jeff even broke out into song (“Return to Pooh Corner” by Kenny Loggins) during a technical difficulties break. Whenever items would draw reactions from the crowd they would tease us about it. Usually we were aww’ing over some particular favorite character (Carson Beckett of Stargate Atlantis was a big draw for aww’s) and they’d usually joke that somebody must have tossed pictures of puppies up on to the screen.
On Saturday there were several big ticket items that were sold, though the biggest was the Traveling Gate from SG-1 also used in Stargate Universe. This item drew a lot of chatter as it was sold completely intact and included two stands on which you could mount it and sold for $70,000. Other notable items from Saturday included three sections from the Atlantis Gate, a Super Solider costume and Daniel’s journal. Saturday I bid on several items though I only ended up acquiring one of them.
At the end of the day on Saturday my auction buddies and I headed home for an early evening of watching what else? Stargate!
Sunday
Sunday morning we got up early and grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading back into the auction. I arrived early so that I could get some close ups of various items including the ZPM.
On Sunday there were a few big ticket items including the Ark of Truth, a Horus Guard helmet with glowing eyes, the ZedPM and a special last minute addition – an all expense paid trip for two to the set of Stargate Universe. It was added to Lot 585 which was a Starship Pin from the episode “200”. This was to benefit BC Children’s hospital and was sold for $8,000 to David N.
Also sold on Sunday was the Ancient Communication Terminal.
Another popular item on Sunday was the Thor puppet which sold for $15,000 and his chair that sold for $800.
Sunday the crowd seemed to be a bit more subdued than on Saturday. I had a chance to chat with many fans from around the US and Canada including Michigan, New York and California to name a few. Throughout the auction many of the Propworx staff and volunteers could be seen in costume wandering around.
When the auction ended on Sunday it truly felt like we’d barely begun and I was quite sad to see it end. However Propworx will be doing another live auction sometime in 2011 and their online eBay auctions return October 10th. I know I will be keeping an eye out to see if I can snag a few more items.
Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. I hope you have enjoyed the MGM Stargate Propworx Auction report as much as I did attending and bringing this experience to you!
This past weekend I interviewed Dan Payne of, to name but a few, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Human Target, Transparency, and who you will soon see in an upcoming Sanctuary episode.
A few of the things we discuss in the video are: some of Dan’s experiences as a Kull Warrior, particularly a rather humourous anecdote from filming Prometheus Unbound (the episode in which Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran is first introduced), and as a “big Wraith” in Atlantis.
Dan shared details of what it was like to work on Human Target with Mark Valley and Chi McBride, and his impressions of Jackie Earle Haley from working on Watchmen.
Dan also discussed some of the differences between stunt work and acting; his favourite television shows (one of which totally cracked me up simply because it was so unexpected); and the interconnectedness of the Vancouver acting community.
Dan Payne as a Kull Warrior with Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson
Stargate Universe also came up in the course of the interview: although Dan has not yet worked on it, he would like to because Patrick Gilmore, who plays Dr. Volker and is a friend of Dan’s, is just so sexy.
Well, that and the fact that he enjoys watching the show himself. I am guessing that if you know anything at all about me you know that I am a Fringe fan and so, naturally, Fringe also came up in our chat. And for you Canucks fans, Dan is a big one himself.
We also discussed some upcoming projects with which Dan will be involved, including Tower Prep, which actually sounds pretty neat, and his own on-going project Pucked. As part of Pucked, Dan has an “alter-ego” on Facebook named Andy Zirkor (you can follow the link to check him out). At the moment Dan is also filming a movie of the week with Faye Dunaway which sounds rather intriguing.
If you have any questions, or just want to chat, feel free to drop me an email at the link below or click on the picture to visit my Twitter page. As always, thanks for reading and watching!
Okay, folks! Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for… The Creation Entertainment Farscape Farewell 2009 Ben and Claudia panel! This panel was packed full of people. If you’ve ever seen Ben and Claudia on stage together, then you know why it was. They are hilarious! Well, let’s get down to business. I’m sure you don’t want to read through me rambling on about how amazing they are. Read for yourself!
Note: Due to a camera failure, images are courtesy of Ms. Amanda Rae Smith. Click any of her images to visit Amanda Rae’s web site! WormholeRiders thanks you Amanda Rae!
Ben was running a little late for this panel and Claudia said she was always waiting on a man. I think this may have something to do with the fact that she is surrounded by men in her house… The lights were down, so the audience yelled for the people in charge to turn them on. Claudia agreed.
Claudia Black: Let’s get some lighting because, quite frankly a girl takes what she can get at this age! (There was a lot of “Awwww”ing from the crowd) No! Listen! We’ve all gotten older. If you started with us at the beginning, time did not stop for us. I have two kids! (She had the biggest smile on her face when she said this. She was every inch the proud Mama.) I’m working up to explaining to them what it is I do for a living. I heard a phrase come out of my older son’s mouth that I never hoped to hear come out of a young child’s mouth. (In imitation of her son) “Mama! Your limo’s waiting for you!” It sounded SO awful! How do you know what a limo is? That’s what you get for bringing kids up in LA. We were just reminiscing back stage about when Ben arrived on the show. He had his whole family with him already. So many things have changed for a lot of us. Pygram, Raelee, and Becca, we now, on the other side of it – most of us met our partners while we were shooting Farscape, or just afterwards – so now we’ve come through the (chuckles) wormhole to the other side with very different lives. I’ve been going through the whole juggling being a working Mum in this business and trying to, you know… I was talking to someone because my kids have got some food allergy stuff going on and we were talking to a counselor about it because we don’t want them to have food issues as they grow up. He said, “Look, in general, you can be a great wife, a great mother, a great career woman. You choose two out of those three.” So, I think I’m going to be a crappy actor. Well, hang on a minute! I’ve been doing that for over a decade! Hopefully, I’ll continue to be a great mother and a great wife. And my poor husband came to set and he came the final day Ben and I were doing the scene of the final episode of season four and he’s proposing to me on the boat and we kiss! My husband said to me (laughs) “This completely sucks! Thanks for bringing me to set… That was really awful.” And it’s funny because so much of what became my personal life while I was filming the show – (a baby made a loud noise from the audience and Claudia smiled) A little baby! (Long pause) I can’t… I can’t. I’ll start lactating again… (Laughs, then someone walked on stage carrying a tray) Oh, look! My lunch is here! I’m going to eat. (Everyone in the audience started laughing and Claudia stopped and looked at all of us) I am not kidding.
Ben Browder: (He was backstage with a microphone) Need someone to hold that for you?
Claudia Black: (She didn’t realize it was Ben who had asked that…) Oh, no thank you, I’m just fine. Thanks for the offer. Hands up mothers in the audience! (Scans the crowd) We can do five things at once, can’t we? Sorry you have to watch it. It’s really quite embarrassing watching me eat. It’s just, I’m not a lady. (She saw what she was about to eat) Oh, how delightful!
Ben Browder: Are you sure you don’t want someone to hold that for you?
Claudia Black: (At this point, she realized it was Ben and squinted up her face and looked back and forth) It depends… Are you from Carolina?
Ben Browder: …I have been there.
Claudia Black: Do you like In’N’Out burgers?
Ben Browder: Almost as much as you do.
Claudia Black: (Laughs) That’s quite a lot. Did you spend a large portion of your illustrious career wearing black leather and getting spanked by Australian women?
Ben Browder: A fair portion, yes.
Claudia Black: Well, color me happy, come out here and hold my plate. (Smiles)
Someone in the audience yelled out, “Can I get a hell yeah?” before Ben was able to. Needless to say, they only got a halfhearted reply from the audience. Ben looked a little miffed and just stood there and shook his head.
Ben Browder: CAN I GET A HELL YEAH?!
The audience was far more enthusiastic with their reply of “HELL YEAH!” to Ben.
Ben Browder: Wow! You guys have been practicing! What did I miss?
An audience member yelled out “Lunch!”
Claudia Black: Yeah, your breakfast is getting cold, you skipped that too.
Ben Browder: There’s cold oatmeal back there if anyone wants it…
Claudia Black: Want a bite?
Ben Browder: Sure.
Claudia fed him a bite off of her fork and the cameras went wild! I don’t know how they could even see after all of those flashes… A guy yelled out, “Careful! His wife’s in the building!”
Claudia Black: It is alright. I have been put through the Francesca test. I’ve been given the seal of approval.
Ben Browder: Yeah, you were telling the Jamie story. First time her husband came to set.
Claudia Black: Oh, poor guy! I mean, really!
Ben Browder: (In a sarcastic tone) I love your work, Hun! (Laughs) Any of you guys got Uncharted 2? (Points at Claudia) Chloe? Ok, it’s one of the greatest video games ever. My son has already beaten it on “hard”. He’s working on “crushing”. It takes awhile to beat these games, so I’ve spent the last two weeks listening to Claudia Black.
Claudia Black: So, a haunting, really.
Ben Browder: In a nice way.
Claudia Black: It’s amazing. I was just talking about when you arrived with your family, they were very young. Your son was in diapers, literally. He was on your hip and you came with both of them into the room when I was having my costume fitting. And now, they text me asking for Beta codes to the game I’ve just made! It’s really weird! And I love text messaging, so they know how to get to my heart… They’re texting, what’s your number? And then, how’s it going? Whatcha up to? – You know, on a Saturday night – Can I have the Beta codes for the game you’ve just done? And I’m like, “Uh, okay, and I’m gonna have to say something that feels quite weird, but I’m going to have to check with your father first.” (Laughs)
Ben Browder: And so you try to explain to him, “Yeah, I know you want the Beta codes, but don’t you think Claud’s going to catch on to the fact that that’s why you’re texting her?” (In imitation of his son) “No dad! I just want to say hi!” Hi, how ya doin’? …Do you have the Beta codes?
Claudia Black: We have to finesse that negotiating skill when they’re little. Cloak it. A little more social banter first. (Offers Ben another bite) Want some more?
Ben Browder: No, I’m good. This is typical of our lunches on Farscape. I would have one bite and she’d eat a whole plate. And part of my plate!
Claudia Black: It’s a metabolism thing. I remember the crew used to set their watches by me because when I started walking around set saying, “When’s lunch?” it was between ten and eleven am everyday. So they knew it was morning tea time because I was already hungry. (To Ben) Did you see the “Nine to Five” video? (They show the winning fan made videos from the contest they hold each year before every panel) No, you were working. Very good. It was ironic. We found it very amusing.
Ben Browder: (Looks at Claudia funny) Who is “we”?
Claudia Black: Me and my peeps. (Laughs) We were hangin’ out, waiting for our man. You’re not just my man are you? I have to share you with Francesca and all these guys. Oh well, worth sharing… (Ben turned red and didn’t say anything) What are you doing for Christmas? What do you want for Christmas? I’ll tell Fran.
With the holidays quickly drawing near, many Stargate fans are out to find that perfect gift for their Stargate fan friends. But what do you do when you know they own the entire series on DVD? Let the WormholeRiders help you out! For your convenience in finding items and more information about them, we have provided links to Amazon.com and to the maker’s websites.
Firstly, make sure they really do have a complete DVD collection. No Stargate fan should be without the story that started it all. Stargate The 15th Anniversary Edition has just come out on Blu-Ray disc. If your friend doesn’t own a Blu-ray player yet, I highly recommend the Ultimate Edition that came out a few years ago. Both have the extended Director’s Cut of the film as well as several extras.
Also, a good DVD buy for the Stargate fan on your list is the new version of the SG-1 Pilot, Children of the Gods. It features new angles, new footage, enhanced visual effects, a new soundtrack, and the one and only commentary attended by Richard Dean Anderson himself!
Have you already exhausted all DVD options and you are still looking for more? Never fear, there’s plenty more options out there, more than you might have realized!
Does your fan friend get wrapped up in the music of the series? Do they sing to SG-1 theme every time it plays? You might want to consider getting them some music from Joel Goldsmith, the composer of the Stargate fanchise! He runs his own website, Freeclyde.com, and sells CD’s of all his work there. Right now if you buy the soundtrack from Atlantis’s pilot, ‘Rising’, you can pay a little extra and Joel will sign it for you!
Is the Stargate fan on your list a collector of memorabilia? Action figures by Diamond Select Toys are available for both the SG-1 and Atlantis series. These are wonderful, fun collectibles for all ages. They are available in large sets or individually, and many come with peices of well known items, like the Stargate, it’s ramp from the SGC, the DHD, and the M.A.L.P.!
For the fan who is perhaps prone to breaking small things, the 12 inch Cloth Figures might be the safer option. Currently you can own your own Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson, or Jack O’Neill! Watch out though. As one might expect, these guys are in high demand!
Need more collectible options? Try QuantumMechanix! They are leaders in the area of replica items. Their latest creation is this 9×6 inch replica of an F-302. I’ve seen one in person, and the details are stunning! For those working on a smaller budget, they also have posters, Stargatecoasters, bumper stickers, and even a replica Replicator block complete with warnings!
Looking for more practical items? Try Creation Entertainment! They carry a very wide variety of items, from autographed photos to glassware to authentic uniform patches. This mug is definitely a fan favorite, selling out the first Chicago Convention that Creation sold them at. The team silhouette disappears with hot water and the message, “Go for the GATE!” appears on the ramp!
Is the fan you are shopping for still heartbroken over the end of their favorite shows? You can give them back the joy of experiencing adventures with their favorite characters with books or audio novels!
Fandemonium is the place to go for THE collection of Stargate novels. These UK authors know what they are doing, and readers are drawn into amazing stories that are true to the characters, the canon, and the franchise. More books are yet to be added to the growing SG-1 and Atlantis series, and they also have the novelization of the Stargate Universe pilot, ‘Air’. I highly recommend ordering your purchases straight from the publisher because although bookstores here in the US claim to have them, they are rarely found on the store shelves.
Stargate Audio Novels from Big Finish Productions are a wonderful gift for the fan who misses the series. They can listen to a story complete with authentic sound effects, and told from the point of view of the character. And I mean the character! Daniel tells about an adventure he had, Carson Beckett has 2 adventures, Vala also, each brought back to life by the original cast members! Each story has a known Stargate star and a supporting actor or actress. If you let yourself focus entirely on what you hear, you will feel as if you are withthe narrator, right in the thick of the story with them!
There are two ways to get the audio novels. You can order the CD and have it shipped to you, or you can purchase and download the audio novel right to your computer and burn it, giving you the opportunity to make the gift more personal by using a decorated CD or case. The cover image is included in the download so you can print it out too! But please don’t cheat and make multiple copies of the audio novels. The continuation of the series literally depends on your purchases!
Want to give a gift that will literally last for months? Got a fan friend who is always hungry for news, pictures, interviews, classic episode breakdowns, and original stories? Get them a subscription to The Official Stargate Magazine! It’s a bi-monthy magazine, perfect for catching up on or reviewing the lastest news, reliving the good old days, and tracking what is going on in the fandom.
We hope that this wishlist has given you the help that you have been looking for. After all, it’s hard to shop for the Stargate fan that has everything. . . . But do they really have everything?
Sunday was the day I had been looking forward to the entire Creation Entertainment convention. Not only was Sunday the day of the Ben Browder and Claudia Black panel, it was also the day of my dual photo ops with Ben and Claudia and another one with Michael Shanks! So you can see why I was excited.
I woke up and started getting ready for the day. Why is it, girls, that when you are trying to get ready for something you are excited about your makeup just never wants to go on properly and your hair just doesn’t want to do anything? Or at least it seems that way, doesn’t it? Anyway, after getting ready, ValaBlack and I went downstairs to get in line for the Ben and Claudia photo ops. (ValaBlack pictured in the Aeryn Sun Duster Jacket) Even though we got there early, there was already a long line! We had to wait around for about an hour before we got into the room where they were taking the pictures.
This was my first time ever getting photo ops, so I had no idea what to expect. The line moved fairly quickly once the pictures started getting taken. The way the room was set up, the line wrapped around the room, so once you were in the room, you could watch everyone in front of you getting their pictures taken. It was so much fun to be able to see how excited everyone was in their photos! Finally it was my turn. Now, I need to let you all in on a little background information about me before you see my picture. I absolutely loathe taking posed, smiling pictures. Where’s the fun in that?! So in mostly all of the pictures my friends and I take, we are always making some sort of funny face. That got me to thinking… Why would I take a posed, smiling picture with Ben and Claudia (or any other celebrity) when I don’t even take posed, smiling pictures for my family and friends? So when it was my turn, I walked up to Ben and Claudia and asked them if they would be willing to take a ‘funny face’ picture. I was so thrilled that they both agreed! Claudia said, “Well, I make funny faces all the time, so I’m ready!” I think it turned out perfectly! What do you think? Claudia’s face cracks me up!
After I left the room, me and ValaBlack went and got in line with the CBO group for a group shot with Claudia. She seemed a little overwhelmed with the size of us, but she was so sweet! Once that picture was done, we went and jumped in the line for Michael Shanks. He was a tad late for his photo session, so we had to sit in line for a bit. It ended up not being so bad though because we got there early enough to be about the fourth or fifth people from the front. Once he got to the room, we got our pictures done really fast. Again, when it was my turn, I walked up to Shanks and asked him if he’d take a ‘funny face’ picture with me. He agreed too! What’s really amusing to me is that we didn’t plan what face we were going to make, but we ended up making a very similar one!
Because I was in line for Shanks, I had to miss an autograph and panel with Francesca Buller (Minister Ahkna, Ro-na, M’lee, Raxil). I was really upset because I had really wanted to see her panel! But once we left the photo room, ValaBlack and I went to see if we could get the interviews from Lani Tupu and Virginia Hey that we had been trying to set up all weekend. I just want to say a big, BIG thank you from the WHR team to Jean and Stephanie for helping us to set them up. And also another HUGE thanks to Virginia and Lani for granting us the interviews! (They’ll be posted soon!)
Once the interviews were over, it was time for the big panel of the day, Ben and Claudia! Ben was a little late and Claudia remarked that she was always waiting for a man. Claudia ended up eating her lunch on stage because she hadn’t had time to do it before. At this point, I hadn’t eaten all day and I wished I had a lunch to eat then too! The panel was hilarious. Ben and Claudia are so much fun to watch! If you’ve never seen them together for a panel, I highly recommend you get yourself to a con! You won’t be disappointed. The best part of the panel, in my opinion, was when a little boy dressed as Batman ran up on stage and into Claudia’s arms. She hugged him for a minute and said that she didn’t think he was going to come. Then she turned to the audience and mouthed, “This is my son!” Everyone “Awwww’d” and Claudia returned to talking to him. He ended up getting tired of the mask after a few seconds, and asked if he could remove it. Claudia then asked the audience, “He wants to take off his mask, but if he does, I want to ask everyone, please, not to take any pictures.” Immediately, and I do mean immediately, EVERY camera in the room went down. Not even one person out of the, I don’t know, maybe four hundred or so people that were there, took a picture. It was really amazing to be there and see how respectful and awesome ‘Scapers are. Claudia even said herself that this was the only convention she’d ever have done that at because she knew that the fans here would do what she had asked. It was an experience I’ll never forget. Once we get our notes in order, a transcription of the full panel is on the way for you guys, so stay tuned!
After the panel, it was time for the ‘Cocktails with Claudia’ event. ValaBlack and I had tickets, so we headed over to the room to get seats. We ended up sitting at the first table that Claudia came to visit! She brought her children and husband with her and, let me just tell you, they are adorable! (No pictures allowed t this event). Claudia seems like a wonderful mom! While she was sitting talking to our table, her two sons were up and down off of her lap and she wasn’t fazed a bit. I guess that’s just one of those things that moms get used to! She told us about a new independent movie that she had just filmed called “Rain from Stars”. She said it was a cross between “12 Angry Men” and “Saw”. I don’t know about you, but that seems like a very interesting combination! Brian Krause, Jeremy London, and French Stewart also star in the movie. It’s set to be released in Canada on October 31, 2010. No word yet on when (or if) it will be in theaters in the US. After a quick chat, it was sadly time for her to move on to the next table.
Once the party ended, we went to check out the vendor’s room one last time and see if we had won anything in the raffle. Sadly, neither of us won a prize, but it was still a lot of fun talking to the guys at the Henson booth! And WR_Systems caught a shot of Paul McMillion of Stargate Atlantis mingling with the fans near the vendors room! Our final duty for the night was an ‘end of convention meeting’ with the WHR team.
After the WHR team meeting, we went upstairs and hung out with the ‘Scapers in the lobby for the remainder of the evening and well into the night! ‘Scapers really are where the party’s at! Everyone was winding down from the busy weekend and even though everyone was exhausted, we hung out until about 1am because none of us wanted it to be over! I met some amazing people there and now have a whole new group of friends. Everyone is so happy to be there and they are all just super nice people. I can’t wait until next year!
Yes, I’m already planning on going again… I think I may be kind of addicted. Once you go to one, you’ll see why! I hope every fan of this series gets to attend at least one Farscape Con in their life. It really is a wonderful experience. Just plan on getting hardly any sleep for four days!
We would just like to say that it was amazing fun. Claudia was absolutely lovely to talk to, very down to earth and incredibly funny!
We’d like to give a special thanks to, of course, Claudia Black for taking time out of her busy schedule to sit down and talk to us.
We’d also like to thank our special guest, Ben Browder for escaping his handler and stopping by, and Julie Caitlin Brown for all of her help coordinating the interview.
Thank you for taking the time to help us out Julie. We know you’re very busy! Finally, we’d like to thank Craig Damon for letting us use his photography room, lights and backdrop. He gave us some great advice too!
So without further ado, we hope you enjoy our interview with Claudia Black!
Whether he’s filing under fire, typing under duress or dialing the gate so SG-1 can save the universe, we all know the world wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for Walter Harriman! PlayItGrand and I met Gary Jones at Dragon*Con and he was happy to record this special greeting just for us. Enjoy!
Hello WormholeRiders!
Our undisclosed sources have informed us that Claudia Black is in the process of developing a new series! Not much is known about the project other than its title “Inc,” which was announced at this year’s ComicCon. The series is reportedly about “the power of the people.”
We will continue to follow this story and report to you as it develops.
WormholeRiders would like to wish Ms. Black lots of luck and our continued support for Inc!
Later Gators!
evening on Syfy. This series move so quickly it will be difficult to share too much without spoiling. However we will try to share a few details about what is going to happen without ruining the premiere this evening.
Thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency
