February 28, 2007

Last night, we celebrated the Atlantis season 4 cast dinner at one of my favorite Italian Don Francesco Ristorante Although I usually order from their special wild game menu (Hungarian pheasant, roast quail, venison, or the “House Duck for Two” that of course serves only one whenever I have it), I arranged for a unique but not too exotic menu on this night. We started with an excellent antipasto assortment: smoked salmon, prawns, calamari, olives, zucchini, red pepper, prosciutto, and salami, tomato, and mozarella cheese. Next up was the appetizer, a choice between a house salad and the truly outstanding squash-stuffed agnolotti with fresh tomato, cheese, and black truffle butter. We had four main courses to choose from including a broiled beef filet, grilled Tuscan chicken, and tagliolini with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. I, however, went with what turned out to be the best pick: grilled Chilean sea bass with lemon and fresh herbs. It was melt-in-your-mouth buttery delicious. Carl, a fishing enthusiast, declared it the best sea bass he has ever tasted. Dessert was a choice between a subtle, not overly-sweet pear tart with vanilla ice cream, or the marscapone-rich house tiramisu. I, of course, had both.

This was the second year we’ve celebrated our cast dinner at Don Francesco. Besides the terrific food and service, we appreciate the fact that we can be seated at four separate tables which offered us a more casual dining experience, allowing us to move around and chat with our fellow diners between courses. I chatted briefly with Jewel and at greater length with her husband Matt, a very nice guy and an actor himself. We discussed local restaurants, the M.O.W he starts shooting today, and Jewel’s grueling movie shoot in Costa Rica. I also talked to Jason Momoa about his hockey-playing days. “You played hockey in Hawaii?”I asked incredulously. “No, I grew up in Iowa,”he informed me. Seriously. Is Iowa a hockey hotbed?

A nice night all around. I snappd a few pics. A shot of ever-photogenic Carl Binder. Camera loves this guy! A shot of Alan McCullough's lovely wife Teresa. The ever-delightful Jane and her fiancee who directed that Dog's Breakfast movie. A pic of a crazed-looking Andy Mikita. And a shot of yours truly wearing Jason Momoa's glasses which, I thought, made me look intelligent. I mean MORE intelligent. The festivities wrapped up a little after 10:30 p.m., but not before Carl regaled us with tales of his days as a page at NBC. One of his duties amounted to providing limo conversation for “stars” enroute to the airport. Apparently, some performers were so notoriously obnoxious that the pages would attempt to “trade off” the more intolerable assignments. I am, however, happy to report that Carl gave a big thumbs up to “class acts” like Michael J. Fox, Harry Anderson, and the great Jimmy Stewart.

We had our very first Atlantis cast read-through today. Since it was only the main cast and producers in attendance, Marty G. and I got to show off our acting skills by playing the parts of the various guest-stars in Doppelganger. As I stumbled my way through a Shakespeare-worthy soliloquy, Paul turned to Rob and suggested he pull the plug on my performance. To which Rob responded: “Nah, this is gold.” And it was. In the end, I think I really nailed it.

After lunch, we headed into our 1:00 p.m. Playback and Visual Effects meeting for Adrift and Lifeline. We worked our way through playback for both episodes in two marathon hours, then finished up the visual effects discussion for Adrift a little after 4:00 p.m. We were all exhausted and Paul suggested postponing the Lifeline portion of the visual effects meeting to another day. “We’re already here,”said Martin Gero. “Might as well get it over with.” Reluctantly, we agreed to forge ahead. At which point Martin - his work completed since we’d finished our discussion of Adrift - happily packed up his things and left us to discuss Carl’s script for the next hour and a half.

Oh, and they found a Winnebago on Lost tonight. Is it just me, or is it beginning to feel a lost like Gilligan’s Island?

Questions?

Etta writes: “I have a question about Family Ties- whose idea was the last scene of the episode?”

Answer: I initially wrote the scene as a gag for the writer’s room. It got a big laugh and kept getting big laughs - so much so that people involved in the production were alarmed at the prospect of losing it. So I kept it in, assuming someone would make me cut it at some point. I assumed wrong.

Jon writes: “My electric ice cream maker broke at the end of the summer right as I was perfecting my cake batter ice cream recipe. What do you recommend as a replacement?”

Answer: Get another machine. I recommend something I’m thinking of picking up myself: The Gelato 3000.

Anonymous #1 writes: “How can you base a character arc on Teyla who's been background noise at best for the best part of three seasons?”

Answer: The fact that the character hasn’t had the opportunity to shine is exactly the reason we’re doing it. This arc and episodes focusing on Teyla will allow viewers to get to know the character a little better. Enjoy!

Anonymous #2 writes: “Does your magic 8 ball say there's any remote chance of an 'evil' Sheppard type episode? And for the record, i'm not beneath begging and would even throw in some dark chocolate offerings as way of bribing you.”

Magic 8 Ball says: Now it’s time for you to hold up your end of the deal. Send the dark chocolate to Joseph Mallozzi c/o The Bridge Studios.

Aaron Weinburg writes: “ There's some rumbling going around at the firm today about Sci-Fi Channel's long-term planning. Rumor has it that neither Stargate:Atlantis or Battlestar Galactica are a part of those plans. We haven't done any work for them for some time, but I think they're looking at a new ad campaign and network image.”

Answer: “The firm”? Well, I haven’t heard any rumors but I do know that Battlestar has been picked up for an additional 13 episodes.

FraiserFan writes: “As a resident of Las Vegas, I'm curious to know what places/events you particularly enjoyed (or loathed) when you visited here, especially where restaurants are concerned.”

Answer: We usually stay at the Bellagio. Dining highlights include Michael Mina, Daniel Boulud, Tableau, Le Cirque, and The Cheesecake Factory for corn tamales and dulce de leche chesecake. Martin Gero dined at Guy Savoy at Caesar’s and said it was one of the best meals he’s ever had.

Jenny Robin writes: “Re: Terror -- I am still making slow headway. I have yet to break page 200.”

Answer: Well, I’ve got about a hundred pages to go and should finish it tonight. The pacing really picks up in the last hundred pages or so. Keep at it!

Michael writes: “Have you ever been In Germany?”

Answer: Nope.

Royal Nonesuch writes: “If you are an ice cream fan, you must try Cincinnati's own "Graeter's" ice cream.”

Answer: You’re the second person to recommend Graeter’s. Richard Kind (aka Lucius) recommended it the last time he was in town.

Anonymous #3 writes: “Is that major arc for Elizabeth in season 4 still on?”

Answer: I never said it was a major arc for Elizabeth. I said “the Weir character will be a significant player in a major arc”. There’s a difference.

February 27, 2007

“So, it’s books now,”remarked Brad, looking over the scifi library in my office, the titles, ranging from Adams’s The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to Zelazny’s My Name is Legion, alphabetically arranged across three bookshelves. Yes, this year it’s books. Last year it was chocolate. The year before that, ice cream. All in all, and given the choice, I believe my co-workers would prefer to support my food-related obsessions. “When are you making ice cream again?”asks Carl every now and again, fixing me with a look usually reserved for underachieving youngsters. Soon. Soon. Paul in particular finds my outdated passion for reading amusing. “You’re reading!”he remarked yesterday. “Next thing you know, you’ll be wearing bowler hats and riding around on one of those old-time bicycles.”.

I was watching Food Network the other day and caught the tail-end of an episode of Road Tasted in which the two hosts visit Seattle’s Alaska Silk Pie Company. There’s they are treated to the preparation and sampling of what the company describes as their “Roll Royce”: the Café Diablo, a seven later dessert. It looked so good that I looked the company up online, checked to make sure they could deliver to Canada, then placed an order for an overnight Fedex delivery. I also ordered two more cakes: the customer “all-time favorite” Key Lime pie, a Chocolate Silk Royale cake. They arrived just before lunch and, although the instructions specified I should freeze the cakes overnight before serving (apparently, it makes them easier to cut), there was no way we were waiting until tomorrow. The cakes were excellent, incredibly rich and dense. The Café Diablo, my favorite, was topped with chocolate-covered coffee beans and came with a listing of what exactly comprised the dessert’s heavenly 7 layers:
“1. Almond caramel with a hint of lemon and spices
2. Chocolate, tangerine, and espresso
3. White chocolate, Cognac with a hint of cloves and cinnamon
4. Dark chocolate espresso
5. White chocolate tangerine with hints of cloves and cinnamon
6. A combination of all of the ingredients with the exception of the almonds
7. White chocolate Grand Marnier”
Hoowhee! I’m so stuffed I don’t know whether I’ll be able to eat supper tonight - which is unfortunate timing given that tonight is the cast dinner.

Today was the big Arctic briefing for Stargate: Continuum. Those heading up North for the shoot were regaled with sobering warnings on thin ice, wandering polar bears, and wind gusts that freeze exposed skin in less than three seconds. But assurances were made that everyone would be accompanied by “someone with ice experience”. Like, say, a shotgun-toting Dorothy Hamel?

Whew, the questions are really piling up -

Anonymous #1 writes: “We were wondering if you were stuck for a week with any character from the Stargate universe, who would it be and why?”

Answer: That Anise tok’ra from season four seemed very intelligent and nice.

Copernicus writes: “Will you guys be developing new story lines for Teyla, or should we merely expect more stand alone episodes?”

Answer: We’ve got a season-long arc in the works for Teyla.

Carolina writes: “I did a quick search and found out that comes from the Criollo bean... that is also cultivated in Venezuela? or Mexico?”

Answer: Yes, Porcelana is a pure Criollo, the cacao bean an almost translucent white - thus it’s name. It is very rare, originating in Venezuela.

Cel writes: “Btw, on the chocolate thing, ever had Cadbury's chocolate?”

Answer: I do like Cadbury but find them a tad too sugary.

Shawna writes: “I'd recommend against going to a pet store next time.”

Answer: True. This was before we knew any better. Our later additions to the pack - Maximus and Bubba, hail from reputable breeders.

Shawna also writes: “What happened to Carson's wee baby turtles?”

Answer: They are under McKay’s care. Happily, he hasn’t killed them yet.

Arctic Goddess writes: “Did you use the Metro often when you were in Montreal? […] If you had to pick among the many wonderful restaurants, what would be your favourite restaurant in Montreal?”

Answer: Yes. When I was a kid, and while studying at McGill, I used to take the Metro all the time. My favorite restaurants in Montreal? Casual: Smoked Meat Pete’s in Ile Perrot (check out my December 29, 2006 blog entry). Pricier but still casual: Au Pied de Cochon (check out my December 28, 2006 blog entry). High-end: Toque (blog entry to come).

Anonymous #2 writes: “Ever thought about having an episode where Ronon and Teal'c slug it out in an epic battle? Who would you put your money on?”

Answer: The thought has crossed my mind. Even Chris Judge wondered about it sometime last year - although he admitted that Ronon’s down and dirty fighting probably has the edge over Tealc’s “wushu shit”.

Mimi writes: “I too love Bourdain's writing as well as his No Reservations show on the travel channel. With that in mind there's an article that he wrote and posted on his buddy's blog that has been causing quite a stir among the foodies.”

Answer: I love his writing as well. I read the article in question and have to disagree on his take on Rachel Ray. She loves food and she’s a cutie. What more could you want?
Thanks for the David Lebovitz link.

Anonymous #3 writes: “Any progress made on the possible big SG-1/Atlantis crossover?”

Answer: Still too early to tell.

Anonymous #4 writes: “Do you make all those dishes every night?”

Answer: Hell, no. I leave that to the professionals.

Anonymous #5 writes: “How many pugs do you have? You mentioned Pug rescue once - have you gotten some of your dogs from a rescue?”

Answer: We have three pugs. We tried to get one from our local pug rescue but, to be perfectly honest, the people running the Vancouver Pug Rescue didn’t seem particularly eager to help out. They didn’t return our initial calls and seemed far too busy to follow-through with our request - which is a shame. Still, it worked out for us in the end as we ended up with Maximus and Bubba.

February 26, 2007

My reasons for not wanting a dog were numerous: the expense, the unappealing prospect of having to housebreak the little furball, the loss of freedom that comes with being a pet-owner, the necessary commitment to everything from walks to vet visits On the other hand, Fondy’s argument for getting a dog was equally compelling: she really wanted one. My sister had tipped her off to a pug for sale at a local pet shop and, after an animated discussion, I agreed to accompany her to the Alexis Nihon Plaza. It was, we agreed beforehand, to be nothing more than a fact-finding mission. There would be no dog purchases on this day. Absolutely, positively, no way! I had steeled myself mentally and was prepared to stick to my guns.

We brought the puppy home that afternoon and Fondy named her Jelly after Joe Vitelli’s character in Analyze This.

She was tiny. So tiny, in fact, that when we returned home after one Saturday afternoon outing and couldn’t find her, we actually feared she’d been eaten by one of the cats. As it turned out, she’d been nestled under a fold in the living room couch, oblivious to our panicked search, sound asleep the whole time. I also remember her being a bundle of energy that first day, tearing around the house, terrorizing the cats. Even though she’s mellowed somewhat with age, given to more lounging than bounding, Jelly still possesses that trademark dominance and obstinacy characteristic of the breed - bossing around the big dogs at doggy daycare, demonstrating selective deafness, and generally doing as she damn well pleases. Not unlike a certain someone…

Speaking of which - we went back to Fuel last night as Fondy’s weekend-long birthday celebrations drew to a close. They’ve changed up the menu and tweaked some of the standing items. Thankfully, the pumpkin soup is still around. Poured over a plump, grilled scallop and crystallized sunflower seeds, the velvety soup was great, but for some reason lacked the more inviting sweetness of previous visits. I was going to ask about any changes in its preparation but never got around to it. Prior to our mains, we were served four inventive little amuse-bouches, one for each of us. Unfortunately, owing to my sieve-like memory, I’m unable to recall the particulars but I believe mine was an albacore tuna mousse in what may have been a beef broth. Steve had the diced tuna with a blood orange compote. Jodi had a very nice shitake mushroom chawanmushi. And Fondy had and awesome foie-gras parsnip parfait.

For my main course, I had the crispy-skinned rainbow trout which I had sampled on my last visit with Marty G. It was perfectly cooked, served with swiss chard and a heavenly hazelnut-brown butter emulsion. Since our first visit to Fuel, Fondy has never strayed from her go-to main: the AAA ribeye. Formerly served in a Bordelaise sauce with gnocchi and broccoli rabe, the latest version is now served with a parsley-parsnip accompaniment and roasted bone marrow. While she loved the bone marrow, Fondy definitely did miss the Bordelaise sauce. We were informed that the chef had one rack of venison remaining as a feature item and ended up ordering it “for the table” so as not to miss out. Served medium-rare (leaning decidedly toward rare), it was delicious, not a hint of gaminess. For dessert, Fondy went with her favorite - the banana tart - while I tried one of the new menu items: the Chocolate Financier. Surprisingly decadent, it was accompanied by a pleasantly intense peanut ice cream. We also ordered an extra dessert “for the table” - the chestnut cake with a Guinness foam I’d found a tad too tart on my last visit. Since then, they’ve redressed the balance of the pear juice and Guinness and I’m happy to report that this new, improved version was a real winner.

Questions…

Peter writes: “Do you guys, as in the writers, have any plans for the 100th episode of Atlantis?”

Answer: No plans yet but I’m sure we’ll be doing something extra special. I was thinking cake.

Shawna writes: “Any chance of any of the good guys getting (temporarily, I'd imagine) turned into a wraith, probably using some kind of backwards version of the wraith retrovirus?”

Answer: Hmmmmm. An intriguing possibility.

Anonymous #1 writes: “I challenge you to eat at a vegetarian or vegan restaurant.”

Answer: Oooh, them’s fighting words.

Anonymous #2 writes: “Wondering if you still make your own ice cream. If so, any new flavors you've made? If not, why not then?”

Answer: I’ll be resuming my ice cream-making ways in June. Upcoming flavors will include peanut-butter caramel, Crunchie, pumpkin pie, cinnamon roll, and Bourbon Bananas Foster.

Vaberella writes: “Ni hao ma?”

Answer: Ho ho. Nay ne?

Vaberella also writes: “Will we see Teyla sparring with John, Ronon, Wraith, or Zelenka?! (…) What does your magical eight ball say about asking Claudia Christian(Commander Ivanova: B5) to guest star in an ep?”

Answer: Teyla will do plenty of sparring in season four. As for Claudia Christian doing a guest spot, Magic 8 Ball says “Cannot predict now.”

Cowpants writes: “1) How many times do you eat out a week? You seem to do it all the time. Doesn't that get expensive? 2) What is your favorite type of cheese? 3) Do the actors and actresses ever come to the writers and offer up plot suggestions? More importantly, do you ever follow the suggestions?”

Answer: 1) We eat out about 5 times a week. 2) I’m a Camembert man. 3) Yup. We’re receptive to input from the cast. Jason just came by the office today and tossed out some ideas. As it turns out, one of the ideas he was pitching was very close to the episode, Reunion, which will be episode #3 of season 4.

Pilgrim writes: “Will we be seeing more of the dark side of Atlantis, and it's characters, this year?”

Answer: That’s a definite yes. There will be some decidedly dark developments in the back half of season 3 and into season 4.

Mimi writes: “You've mentioned foodnetwork, a book on chocolate and searching for restaurant reviews online. Can you share with us some of the shows and websites that you like? Do you read any other food blogs? Any particular books on food, chefs or cookbooks you've enjoyed reading?”

Answer: I’m not familiar with any food blogs and don’t frequent that many food-related websites. However, I do watch a lot of food network shows (Ace of Cakes, Iron Chef, Iron Chef America, Nigella, and Top 5 to name a few), and read the occasional food-related book (I’m a big fan of Anthony Bourdain’s writing).

Etta writes: “Have you planned doing some ‘last episode special’ for the last SG1 episode?”

Answer: Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok has already put something together to commemorate the event.

Nichole writes: “How far is Whistler from Vancouver?”

Answer: Whistler to Vancouver is about a 2 hour drive (approximately 75 miles).

Lily writes: “In Trinity we learned that there were other Satedan survivors. Will we see any more of them?”

Answer: Check out Reunion.

Anonymous #3 writes: “You were surprised Atlantis skewed more male? How come? I ask, because I think it's fairly obvious that Atlantis tries to appeal more to the young male demographic.”

Answer: Actually, there was never a conscious effort to attempt to skew Atlantis more male.

Anonymous #3 also writes: “SG-1 has based much more heavily on internal character relationships, complex stories based in mythology, and is, by and large, a much more people-focused show. It's not so much about the flash, but more about the characters' place in the story. For those reasons I'd guess that SG-1 would appeal more to females and to an older audience in general.”

Answer: So you’re inferring that younger or male viewers are less intelligent? I don’t know if I agree with that. Furthermore, SG-1 has had many more years to establish their mythology, characters, and the various relationships between them. In time, I’m sure Atlantis will become just as “older/female-audience worthy”.

Pitbull writes: “I was wanting to know if you have ever been down to MONTEREY CALI?”

Answer: No. Is this an invitation?

Anonymous #4 writes: “I’ve noticed that, while many of the populations that the teams meet appear to be “farmers” or “hunters”, you never see any animals in the scenes. […] I often wondered why and thought that I would ask.”

Answer: We have included animals whenever possible (the llama in Crusade comes to mind), but rarely make use of them unless they’re integral to the story. Or unless the director is a glutton for punishment. W.C. Fields once said: “Never work with kids and animals”. He knew what he was talking about.

Redtwin writes: “I just watched "First Strike" and loved seeing Shepherd with a much more commanding demeanor very similar to how he was in "the Storm". Will we see more of this side to him in season 4? What are your thoughts on Droste chocolate?”

Answer: Re: commanding Sheppard - we’ll see the many sides of John in season 4. Re: Droste chocolates - I’m not familiar with them. Do tell.

Anonymous #5 writes: “Since you're just getting started on production, can you tell us the directors for the first few episodes?”

Answer: Sure. Rob Cooper is directing Doppelganger. Martin Wood is directing the season opener, Adrift, and the follow-up, Lifeline.

Minigeek writes: “P.S. Dolby is a cutey.Yeah, your three are pretty darn adorable too. But don't think that makes us pals or anything. Me giving my life to save yours in a blaze of antiheroic glory... ay carumba.”

Answer: Deal. I promise not to save you either - BUT I WILL give orphaned Dolby a fun and loving home.

Jenny Robin writes: “The Terror (or just plain Terror as we call it in da biz)--on page 76 of 766. I need to pick up the pace, as does the story. What page have you reached?”

Answer: I’m on page 324. It’s a slow build and I would agree that it could be a little tighter, but I find the description of the frozen climate both fascinating and unsettling.

Carolina writes: “Your favorite chocolate comes from a very beautiful area from my country... it's surrounded of amazing beaches and it's in the middle of a XVI century plantation La Hacienda Chuao, it is an experience to go and visit.”

Answer: I’d love to. The taste of Chuao bars are very distinct, possessed of almost a burnt caramel finish. Also, do you know anything about the porcelana bean?

February 25, 2007

Someone once said “Real men don’t eat quiche”. Well, yesterday, for lunch, not only did I eat quiche, but I had it with a cup of green tea. We were at Feenies, little sister restaurant to Lumiere one of Vancouver’s premiere upscale dining destinations. Feenies is a little more laid back, a little more casual in both clientele and menu. Casual but with a twist. For instance, their house burger offers the option of a foie gras or short rib topping, and their lobster poutine (fries, cheese curds, lobster chunks, and gravy) puts a definite spin on that old Quebecois classic. I had gone in, my heart set on having the duck confit with poached eggs, only to discover that it had disappeared from the menu. Gone! I felt as though I’d been thrust back into the Middle Ages where poor unfortunates battled the plague, suffered the whims of a dispassionate nobility, and were made to eat their poached eggs with rustic country ham. Well, after much hemming and hawing, I finally decided to go with the quiche - and that cup of green tea. Fondy - the birthday girl on this special Saturday - went with the Smoked Salmon Benny and the “smoothie of the day”, a melange of yogurt, blueberries, peach, banana, and a couple of other fruit I can’t recall.

One of my pet peeves whenever I dine out is seeing people who are seated AFTER ME receive their orders BEFORE ME. Whenever it happens, I’m always reminded of that montage sequence in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz wherein the young waiter (played by Richard Dreyfuss) makes nice-nice with the chef by gifting him with a bottle of wine, resulting in a sudden improvement of his kitchen turn-around time. As we sat, sipping our smoothie and green tea, watching every other table but ours receive their meals, I could help but wonder whether our waiter had forgotten to “reward” the chef - or, worse, done something to piss him off. Finally, Fondy inquired about our order. After a quick check with the kitchen, our waiter apologized for the delay - there had been a mix-up and our dishes were on their way. They eventually arrived (a little over thirty minutes after we had made our order). Fondy loved her Smoked Salmon Benny which was served on a croissant and topped with salmon eggs and hollandaise sauce. My quiche was very good, but the strip of bacon that topped it was disappointingly cold and dry. Fondy spotted sticky toffee pudding with figs on the dessert menu and couldn’t resist. Feenie’s version isn’t as dense as others we’ve tried, but it was excellent - accompanied by crème anglaise and a wonderful home made ice cream that the menu listed as cinnamon but tasted more like caramel to me. When the bill arrived, I was interested to see whether the restaurant would compensate us for the wait by, perhaps, giving us the dessert on the house. To my surprise, they ended up treating us to the quiche and Benny instead. All was forgiven and I made sure to base my tip on what the bill would have been with the two dishes included.

Since it was Fondy’s day, she called the shots. I was perfectly prepared to accompany her to The Home Show taking place this weekend in Vancouver (and by perfectly prepared, I mean mentally AND physically as I’d toted along my 800 page copy of The Terror, just in case) but, instead, we headed downtown for a little shopping. Now I remember reading somewhere that men and women shop differently as a result of the roles our ancestors played in early primitive society - ie. hunter-gathering males as opposed to care-giving females. I guess that explains it. My wife is genetically predisposed to shopping for hours before returning home empty-handed to lament the fact that she didn’t buy those shoes she found on special. I, on the other hand, have always adopted the more surgical-strike approach to shopping: sweeping in and doing a quick reconnaissance, then zeroing in on potential targets but always maintaining a random pattern so as to avoid being intercepted by sales-bogeys. I’m pleased to report the mission was a success as I scored a hit on a couple of ties and one pair of silver scorpion cufflinks I’ll be wearing to the cast dinner this week.

We met friends Maisa and Alex (and baby) for dinner and celebrated Fondy’s birthday at HKYK over hot pot fatty beef, pork neck, scallops, chive dumplings, and watercress.

Fondy’s birthday festivities will continue through the weekend and until further notice. Tonight, we’ll be celebrating with friends Steve and Jodi at Fuel. Pics tomorrow.

My, my, my, you’ve all been much chattier than usual. Let me see what I can do about fielding some questions. Before I begin, however, to those of you who have written to complain about the fact that I haven’t posted your comments - I do post most comments unless the poster is: a) rude, b) clearly crazy, or c) goes on and on like the director’s cut of a theatrical feature. Occasionally, I may even weed out the odd obnoxious posts because it would detract from my own grandiose belligerence.

Carolina writes: “Joe are you rooting for anybody tonight at the Oscars?”

Answer: Well, Forrest Whitaker of course because he’s a fan of the Gates. Of the Best Picture nominees, I’ve only seen Little Miss Sunshine and Babel. So I’m rooting for The Departed because I really liked the original Hong Kong movie on which it was based.


Peter writes: “Will the season 4 opening credits have a brand new effect to it, or is it just going to be the same as the last 2 seasons but with different actors being displayed?”

Answer: I quite like the existing opening title sequence. It may change a little, but probably not all that much.

Copernicus writes: “Do you have any plans to incorporate more shades of grey into the story-telling?”

Answer: I’ve always been a big fan of unpredictable wildcards - characters and races that walk the line between good and evil. Yes, there will definitely be a few of these in upcoming episodes of Atlantis.

Patricia writes: “ I know you don't have much for details on the third series, but, hint hint, nudge nudge, wouldn't Ba'al be a wonderful main character? The reluctant hero who has a difficult time trying to behave himself and fit in with the rest of the characters? What do you think?”

Answer: Hey, I don’t need convincing. Unfortunately, I’m not the one who’ll be making the call on this one.

Patricia also writes: “You mentioned a book by Syd Field as a very useful tool to help you with your writing. He has at least a dozen books for sale on the net. Which book did you use?”

Answer: Hmmm. My old copy is back in Montreal. I believe it was Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.

Agent Dark writes: “You've had a male/male kiss now on Stargate. Obviously there have been a few male/female kisses in the past. When do we get a female/female kiss?”

Answer: Good question. Off the top of my head, I don’t see one upcoming - but that’s not to say we won’t see one eventually.

RecycledFunk writes: “Do you guys plan on ever having McKay react to his allergens?”

Answer: It would make for a terrific off-world complication. It’s possible.

Anonymous #1 writes: “Do you think Atlantis would benefit from a reduction in episodes per season?”

Answer: Honestly, there is no benefit to a reduced season.

C.C. writes: “ Is there anything we can do to help get Beckett back, or is it truly and completely out of our hands?”

Answer: First of all, I don’t mind getting letters and do try to read most of the ones addressed to me. Secondly, I’m well aware that Beckett is a much-loved character. I don’t need more letters to convince me of the fact - but, again, I won’t discourage those who want to write in support of Paul. The campaign is great in that it especially lets him know how many people out there care about his Beckett. Also, it never hurts to let the network know that the fans support a particular character.

Pitry writes: “Aren't you guys (a little bit) afraid for SGA's, once it will be up against the major networks?”

Answer: Oh, a concerned thought or two has crossed our minds.

Etta writes: “What is favourite brand of chocolate(if you have one)-Lindt, Milka, other…?”

Answer: I’m an Amedei man. And, to be even more specific, their Amedei Chuao bar is my all-time favorite.

Minigeek writes: “Cheers :) minigeek (who has a couple of pugs, incidentally)

Answer: You’re a pug owner? Really? I guess this is what Luke Skywalker must’ve felt like when he found out Darth Vader was his father. Noooooooo! P.S. Dolby is a cutey.

Anonymous #2 writes: “Have you already decided the episode Chris Judge would be in of SGA? And will Tealc actually be in Atlantis, or will it be a situation like Pegasus Project?”

Answer: It will be a cameo in an episode called Reunion.

Pega writes: “From '02 to '04 M25-54 outperformed W25-54 in viewership by almost 3:1 (in syndication), and Atlantis was projected to have similar numbers. Does that ratio still hold true?”

Answer: I haven’t checked lately but I remember being surprised by the fact that Atlantis actually skewed more male than SG-1.

Chiandminh: “I was hoping you could recommend a pug breeder in the Lower Mainland.”

Answer: My wife suggests trying either Margaret Louie or Joyce Allen.

Anonymous #3 writes: “How do you feel about the ever-growing sentiment that Landry is a pushover General and that he has no consistent character or ties to the team?”

Answer: To be honest, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.

m.k. writes: “Are there any plans for returning to any planets/people introduced in seasons 1-3, that we haven't seen again?”

Answer: Are there any you have in mind?

Rob Heintz writes: “Given that Scifi doesn't plan to air the first episodes of season four until the fall, on what information will a potential fifth season of Atlantis be based?”

Answer: Another great question. I would assume both the back half of season three and whatever season four episodes air before crunch-time.

Anonymous #4 writes: “Mitchell seems to be unequivocally in command in Season 10. Does this mean the whole co-command thing with Carter was dropped?”

Answer: Well, I guess it’s a matter of perception. I believe I’ve already mentioned that when this whole SG-1 command issue first came up back in season 9, there was much animated discussion in the writers’ room. Eventually, it was decided that Sam and Cam would co-command the team - and Mitchell suggests as much in Uninvited.

Anonymous #5 writes: “Do you feel like you're being set up to fail by Sci-Fi? Aren't they stacking the deck against a turn around in Stargate's poor ratings?”

Answer: No, I think it’s in all of our best interests to see the series succeed. We’ve had some great conversations with SciFi regarding both the back half of season three and season four and everyone is looking forward to the April re-launch.

Lily writes: “Could be that John's father is still alive but since he appears to be from the old school ("Cold War colonel"), maybe the two of them don't get alone very well after John's black mark?”

Answer: Hmmm. A very interesting possibility.

Arctic Goddess writes: “Have you watched any episodes of Eureka? If so, what do you think of it?”

Answer: Nope, I haven’t - though I met Colin Ferguson at last year’s Comicon and found him to be a very nice guy.

Lena writes: “Does the Stargate writing/ directing team have an overall James Bond preference?”

Answer: I’ve never asked, but I have a feeling the room is overwhelmingly pro-Connery.

Anonymous #6 writes: “I was watching Common Ground again today. There were several comments that Sheppard and the Wraith made about what would happen if their paths ever cross again and all bets being off. Will we will ever get to see an episode where they run into each other again?”

Magic 8 Ball says: Signs point to yes.

Anonymous #7 writes: “Is Torri definitely doing the Vancouver convention?”

Answer: The producers have nothing to do with the conventions and I, personally, have no knowledge about who is doing what and where. For all I know, things will kick off with a goat sacrifice after which fans will be invited to participate in the ceremonial spoiled mayonnaise and chocolate hunt. If I were you, I’d check with the convention organizers. More than twice.

Anonymous #8 writes: “Hey, I saw your food reviews at Urban Diner. Is this a new side job??”

Answer: The word “job” implies I’m being paid. Like my work on Stargate, I don’t do it for the money - I do it for the love of the art. And the occasional invite to a food-related event.

February 24, 2007

I didn’t clean the house, I failed to buy a new pair of shoes, and I forgot to wear red. To top things off, I had neglected to get a much-needed haircut. My disregard of Chinese New Year traditions was so unintentionally comprehensive that I needed to make amends. In the end, I did so by overdoing the only tradition I hadn’t overlooked: The Chinese New Years feast.

I had made a point of phoning Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant in Richmond and making reservations three weeks in advance for the special occasion. My foresight netted us one of the last tables of the evening, an 8:00 p.m. seating. And no wonder. Sea Harbour’s folksy fish ’n chips exterior belies the fact that it is one of the city’s top Chinese restaurants, offering unique, upscale menu items one would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else outside of Hong Kong.

We arrived a little before 8:00 p.m. to a full and festive house: red and gold decorations, children in traditional Chinese dress, whole roast pigs, and plenty of red wine and scotch. The floor staff was constantly on the move, from tables to kitchen and back, stopping only to take orders and sing Happy Birthday on two separate occasions. Thankfully, despite the expected full house, we weren’t confined to a specific New Year’s menu. And so, we ordered a la carte, starting with shark fin soup.

Sea Harbour offers five varieties of shark fin which can be prepared one of seven different ways. All three of us elected to go with a braised premium double-order. I had the Golden Mountain spike fin - long, thin, translucent strands in a light, subtle brown sauce. The Ya Jian fin Fondy and our friend, Jackie, ordered was shorter and thicker, their accompanying brown sauce denser, darker, and richer. Although both soups were excellent, I preferred the bolder flavors of their selection while they preferred the texture of my dish.

The house “hand-ripped chicken” was next - perfectly roasted and lightly seasoned, it was moist and tender. Available in half or full orders, it is the highlight of the menu and not be missed. We went with the full order and ended up picking the bones clean. Another stand-out menu item - and, not so coincidentally, another popular specialty of the house - is the steamed barbecue pork bun, available by the full or half dozen. They arrived at our table, hot and still steaming. The faint sweetness of the bun nicely complimented the atypically not-so-sweet barbecue pork it contained. We also had an excellent fresh, steamed rock cod with soy, ginger, and green onions, and a stir-fried vegetable plate that included elm fungus, water chestnuts, lotus root, snow pea, cloud ear mushrooms and gingko nuts. The only dish that failed to impress me was the sweet and sour pork shoulder. I found it too cloying but, to be fair, Fondy enjoyed it.

Unable to decide on one dessert, we opted for three. The first, was a very good steamed white bun with lotus paste. For me, lotus paste has always held an almost peanut butter trace, and Sea Harbour’s version also included hints of almond. The second dessert was a deep-fried dumpling, its exterior casing flavored with bitter gourd, its interior a dark sesame paste. Also very good but slightly greasy. Our third dessert was the consensus favorite, another steamed white bun, this one filled with a rich liquid sweet and salty egg yolk.

Dinner wasn’t cheap and the place can get mighty noisy, but Sea Harbour is well worth the trip - especially at dim sum where diners can order from a less-pricey menu that includes pictures of every dish available (in the event your Chinese is a little rusty).

February 23, 2007

Last night was what Carl Binder referred to as “the perfect storm of television”. On tap: The Office, My Name Is Earl, 30 Rock, Survivor, Grey’s Anatomy, AND American Idol.

The best line of the night came on My Name is Earl. Beau Bridges, as Earl’s father, gifts his son with his grandfather’s baby rattle - giving it a shake and informing him “Those are Indian teeth.”

The best moment of the night came in The Office. A confused little kid wakes up in the dead of night, glances across the room and finds Dwight Schrute sitting a rocking chair, watching him sleep: “You’re awake. Finally.”

The best sequence of the night was 30 Rock‘s nod to The Bodyguard. Tracy Jordan is swept off his feet and whisked off to safety by two beefy behemoths as Whitney Houston sings I Will Always Love You.

The best awkward moment of the night came during Survivor. As the two tribes face off in a contest that requires them to negotiate a slippery track, perennial loser Sylvia attempts to slide across the slick expanse on her belly - only to travel a few feet before stopping cold. As her opponent charges ahead, she attempts a futile breast stroke across the greasy surface and then, realizing she isn’t moving, grins foolishly at camera. Needless to say, the rest of her tribe wasted no time in sending her packing.

Also, while watching t.v. last night, I couldn’t help but note that many of the most talented actors on my favorite shows are all too often overlooked when it comes to award shows and media coverage. For example:

Grey’s Anatomy
Who gets the press: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl.
Who should get more press: Chandra Wilson for her performance as the most believable character on television - Dr. Miranda Bailey.

The Office
Who gets the press: Steve Carell.
Who should get more press: Rainn Wilson as the unique and infinitely annoying Dwight Schrute.

My Name is Earl
Who gets the press: Jason Lee.
Who should get more press: Jaime Pressly. Holy Smokes, does she kick as Earl’s white trash ex-wife Joy.

Friday Night Lights
Who gets the press: No one.
Who should get the press: Kyle Chandler for his subtle but striking turn as Panther head coach Taylor.

House
Who gets the press: Hugh Laurie.
Who should get more press: Hugh Laurie.

Boston Legal
Who gets the press: James Spader and William Shatner - unarguably well-deserved.
Who should get more press: Even though he’s not a series a regular, Christian Clemenson’s turn as Jerry “Hands” Espenson is nothing short of brilliant.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention this season’s first America Votes installment of Idol. Thankfully, I didn’t watch it live so I was able to fast-forward through most of the show only to be ultimately disappointed by the manner in which Seacrest booted the losing contestants. Where was the cruel aloofness of season‘s past? The callous toying of emotions? I much preferred last season’s misdirect tactics wherein he would blindsind contestants along the lines of “Now before we find out the results of tonight‘s vote, I want to ask…Karen, I understand you’re performing tonight for your sick grandfather and I was just wondering - KARENIT’SYOU!YOU’REGOINGHOMETONIGHT! HOWDOYOUFEEL?!HOWDOYOUFEEL?! NOW SING US OUT!”

Today was wall-to-wall meetings as we prepped the opening two-parter Adrift and Lifeline. Happily, halfway through the props meeting a package arrived. It was compliments of Stargate fan Carolina and it included: duck confit, foie gras, lavender honey, almond paste cookies, dark chocolate rochers, mixed chocolate bars, and dark chocolate thins. Thanks to Carolina but I must stress that you didn‘t have to do that. Still, it was much appreciated - and enjoyed (director Martin Wood particularly enjoyed the dark chocolate thins - he’s a chocolate man). Incidentally, Carl Binder has informed me that he intends to start a blog which will focus on his great love of precious metals. Again, thanks, Carolina.

Oh, thanks to all the fans over at Gateworld who have taken the time to create threads in my honor. Special mention should be made of poster minigeek who’s thread “Fan opinion has ZERO impact on storytelling, Mallozzi says” is interesting if not misleading given that I never said these words attributed to me. In the spirit of fairplay, I have started an alternate blog titled “I eat small puppies, minigeek says” which can be found here: http://ieatsmallpuppiesminigeeksays.wordpress.com/

Thanks to everyone who has written in and I’ve reached the point where I’m receiving more questions than I can keep up with. I’ll try my best to get around to as many as I can. David F. from my old Cinar days, I received your comment. Send me another with your email and I’ll intercept it before it reaches the public page. Now, let’s field a few questions -

Jessica writes: “You might want to ask David Hewlett about the boos he got when he mentioned that Amanda was going to be in 14 episodes at a recent con in the UK. That's right. People booed.”

Answer: Well, David Hewlett may have been surprised when a certain group of fans booed an actress for doing nothing more than accepting a job to help support her family, but me - not so much. What can I say? Congratulations to all those who embarrassed themselves and the performers who made the long trek to spend time with you all. Classy.

Jessica also writes: “Where is the logic in getting rid of two Atlantis fan favourites and risking losing their fans, just in the hope of getting a few people from SG1 to watch.”

Answer: Allow me to clear up a assumption on your part, specifically the fait accompli belief that any creative decision made with regard to Weir was a result of Carter joining the show. In fact, the opposite is true. After a decision was made with regard to Weir, we entertained a number of possibilities - three in particular come to mind. In the end, we decided on Carter because - a) it’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while, and b) her strengths and backgrounds make her well-suited to the Atlantis environment. Holding the Samantha Carter responsible for any upcoming changes would be akin to holding the Cameron Mitchell character responsible for O’Neill’s departure or blaming the General Landry character for Hammond’s exit.

Pattirose4: “What if anything can the fans do let TPTB know that we would like a bloopers included on a season set?”

Answer: Nothing more. You told me and I had a conversation with Ivon Bartok (our Special Features Producer) regarding this very topic. I can only speak for Atlantis and, if everyone signs off, we may see bloopers in a future DVD release.

Jenny Robin writes: “I spoke with 2 people today who have read Dan Simmons' 'Terror'. They both said is was 'really spooky' and 'great', which, while being very general statements are still thumbs-up in nature. Have you had a chance to read it yet?”

Answer: I brought the huge hardcover tome home after showing it off to Martin Wood (who is a big Dan Simmons fan as well). I just finished Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow and will start The Terror tonight.

Jenny Robin also writes: “If your writing staff were to challenge each other to a series of arm wrestling matches, who would emerge victorious?”

Answer: Hmmmm. Tough call. I’d probably give it to Paul because of his competitive spirit and the spirit in his eyes. Also, he’s probably the strongest.

Anonymous #1 writes: “I wish there is an episode with nobody but McKay. McKay going offworld by himself, he'd fly a jumper too.”

Answer: How about instead of heading off-world, he’s coming back from the mainland and his jumper crashes into the ocean and we get to spend the entire episode with him alone, trapped underwater, while Atlantis scrambles to locate him before it‘s too late? We can call it…McKay’s Underwater Advenure.

Lynn writes: “Can a person hope you might stop in at the Gateworld party on Thursday night, I would love to meet you. In case you don't remember me, I used to send e-mails your way critiquing the weekly episode and you replied on occasion, which was always fun.”

Answer: I hope to attend but have been reminded that the party takes place on the weekend of my wedding anniversary - which may mean I’ll be running late. If you used to send emails, why did you stop?

Peter writes: “Will the midway station be featured in Season 4? Also, will Caldwell be returning? And while I'm at it, a lot of fans point to the fact that the cast was fairly, uh, "stagnant" during the first 5 years of SG1, and that this was one of the reasons why the show went on for so long. Do you believe this to be true?”

Answer: The midway station will be featured in season 4. Hopefully, we will see Caldwell. And while the fans may point to the first five years as proof that a “stagnant” cast was the reason for the show’s success, I’d point to the next five years in which the show was “less stagnant” and proved even more successful.

Anonymous #2 writes: “…the fact that Amanda's in the opening credits with 14 episodes while you still can't come up with a number for Torri basically confirms it.”

Answer: Actually, all it confirms is that we don’t have a set number of episodes to confirm. Basically, it’s a lose-lose proposition for me. If I specify a set number of episodes or reveal my intention to bring a certain character back and, for whatever reason, plans fall through, I’m on the receiving end of brainless comments like -
Prion, February 23, 2007: “I've seen Mallozzi make plenty of 'promises' to fans that just don't pan out for one reason or another.”
On the other hand, if I hedge my bets with a more hopeful response along the lines of “It’s possible” and “Maybe”, or try to stay mum on unaired episodes, this will result in equally brainless comments like -
Prion, February 22, 2007: “I read the chicago tribune article and he was asked about season 3, definitely, and avoided answering specific questions. his blog is amusing, but not very informative.”

Anonymous #3 writes: “How's does being a Canadian affect the show?”

Answer: It doesn’t. Canadians are not all that different from citizens of the U.S.A.

Prior_of_the-Ori writes: “There was that mention of a 'new race' in Atlantis, anything else you can say about them or is it a 'wait and see' type thing? And is there any mythology (Egyptian, Norse etc) that you wish to explore on the show? Oh and of all the 'bad guys' (Adria, Kolya, 'Steve', 'Micheal', Anubis, Apophis) which one did you like the most?”

Answer: Can’t reveal much about the new race at this point. I don’t know if we’ll have the opportunity to explore Earth mythologies on Atlantis. And as for my favorite villain - Baal naturally.

Suekay writes: “What's your favourite new show this year, and can you tell us anything about Sanctuary?”

Answer: The only new show I’m still watching is Friday Night Lights. As for Sanctuary - I believe it was a hit single for The Cult many years back. But I could be wrong.
UNSRM writes: “1. Do you wish that the proposed rebranding of SG1 went ahead after season 8? Do you think it would have made a difference to the life of series? 2. Can you tell us of any deleted scenes or bits from the script that didn't make it into your best SG1 ep (and best SG1 ep period) Window of Opportunity?”

Answer: 1. It’s hard to say. Considering SG-1 was still doing a very respectable 1.7 average despite a slow start to season 10, it’s hard to guess whether another spin-off would have proved as equally popular. 2. There were no deleted scenes from WoW. In fact, we were short and ended up adding scenes.

Vaberella writes: “Are we going to see a mix up in the team, like Lorne/Teyla/Zelenka or Lorne/Ronon/McKay on off world missions?”

Answer: No plans to do anything like this as of yet.

Vaberella also writes: “Is there a possibility of seeing Ronon use his "specialist" skills?”

Answer: We’ll see a glimpse of his specialist skills in an episode called Reunion.

Karen writes: “Since you are such a foodie, have you seen either season of 'Top Chef' on Bravo? I'm thinking you might make an interesting guest judge on the next season.”

Answer: Haven’t seen it but could you put in a good word for me?

UberAmandaFan writes: “SciFi won't start SGA up until FALL??? […] Do you know why they're doing this?”

Answer: I believe it has something to do with the network’s decision to give their fans year-round original programming.

ChaosIsBeauty: “What authors/screenwriters, past or modern, do you feel have had the greatest influence on you personally and as a writer?”

Answer: Probably my biggest influence was Syd Field who’s simple, straightforward book on screenwriting gave me all the advice I needed to get started.

Skully writes: “Can a buy you dinner sometime on one of my passes through Vancouver?”

Answer: Sure. Just post a comment with your email. It will appear in my inbox before I okay it for posting. I’ll just take down your email and delete the comment so that you don’t end up fielding dinner requests from hungry Stargate fans.

Blaine Nielsen writes: “I know that your really not involved in the movies that are coming out, but you said that you have read the script/story for them. What does the lengh look like? Is it going to be like a 2 parter episode or something like Avalon and Origin? And second I was watching Threads the other day. […] When Jacob Carter is about to die and Jack and Sam are talking about her father. Sam says something like she thought she lost her father 4 years ago. But wasn't Jacob Carter blended in season 2 (almost six years earlier). Was this a goof or is time different between seasons?”

Answer: Hey, Blaine, thanks for the kind words. Regarding the script for The Ark of Truth - it won’t be a two-parter but will be twice as long as a regular episode. As for the Threads question. You’ll have to ask Rob but it looks like an oversight.