SG-1 Cast's Reactions to the Cancellation
August, 2006 - Michael Shanks, Chris Judge, Claudia Black, Ben Browder and Peter Deluise interviewed by the Space Channel's HypaSpace program re: the cancellation of Stargate SG-1.
HypaSpace crew were on the set for the 10th Anniversary celebration and talked to the cast and crew about
the decision to pull the plug.
The scene cuts to Michael sitting:
Michael: We found out a little bit earlier
than the public did, obviously, that the show had been cancelled, and..
and it's, it's hard to be really terribly upset. You know, cancelled's a
really weird word, it's not - we haven't been cancelled, that kinda means
'pull the plug and go home'. This this mean - this means we're not
getting renewed and it's been one of those things that's been on everybody's
mind for years and years and it's - the fact it's reality is just... it's
just something we have to deal with and - and I think we've really had a
wonderful run, so it's hard to be terribly sad and upset about it."
Cut to a scene of Michael and Chris on set in SG-1
costume filming, with Michael (as Daniel) saying "You know what? We're just
about done here so you guys are all going to be able to go home and get on
with your lives". Cut to Chris Judge, with some of his reaction as voice-over
to behind the scenes shots of SG-1 filming:
Chris: What recent announcement? (said
seriously) Ohhh, that one? (smiling) You mean the one that has the
internet... you mean the announcement that has the internet all a-buzz. You
know it... I believe that the ending of our relationship with the SciFi
Network.. um... I think is just that. It's the ending of doing original
episodes for SciFi. We are fortunate that we do have a person at the studio
- Charlie Cohen - who is a very innovative thinker, a progressive thinker,
so between he, Brad and Rob I am confident that they have other machinations
of SG-1 in the works, and the Stargate franchise as a whole. So just because
our relationship has ended with SciFi, I don't know that's not necessarily
the end for SG-1 and I know it's not the end of the Stargate franchise. So,
you know, don't fret, you may be forced to watch us for more years to come.
Cut to a short clip of Chris ducking behind a
girl with a clapper board, then to Claudia Black:
Claudia: I'm not surprised, I think
personally that ten years is an extraordinary achievement. I don't know how
the writers - apart from bringing in new characters - I don't know how you
can continue to tell new stories in the same environment with the same
people. People's lives don't change unless you got through a massive
sea change, so I think as a show it would have had to undergone some
kind of major change eventually, and maybe it was occurring with me and Ben
and Beau arriving on the show. And it always comes down to economics, I
understand. I've been down that road before, I was on another little show
called Farscape and it... it, you know, 90% business, 10% show.
Cut to a short clip of Michael and Ben filming, then to
Ben Browder, and more shots of behind the scenes filming as he talks:
Ben: The immediate thing is, when a show
is cancelled, is the disappointment, the fact that you're not going to be
seeing these people you've enjoyed being with for, ah... for all those
years. You're not going to see them on a daily basis, and you have to go out
and look for work and... But, you know, given the fact that SG-1 went for
ten years and is record-setting in that regard, I think you have to walk
away when you've been cancelled with great dignity and say "we had a great
run". All the people who did this had a great run. So with class, dignity
and grace you take your bow. All good things come to an end and... this is
one of them.
Cut to a clip of Peter DeLuise directing Michael, Chris
and others, with Michael playing the scene aggressively, apparently to get a
bit of a laugh. He ends with a "shut up the lot of you!", turns to Chris and
says "What?!", to laughter from the group. Cut to Peter DeLuise:
Peter: I've directed about sixty episodes,
or so... I think maybe even slightly more than that. I've kind of lost
track. But, I've learned so much about directing and visual effects, and
diplomacy!, and writing and producing that I really do feel blessed. I feel
like I've been paid to learn, and some of the people that have been on
the show since the beginning, even more than me, they have this decade of
memories and friendships that they've made. I'm pretty sure that all the
people I hang on the weekends with are all of the people I hang out with the
week days, which is strange because I don't really have a life outside Stargate,
so now that it's coming to a close, I don't know what I'm going to do with
myself. I sound really depressing.
Cut back to Claudia:
Claudia: I would like to say to the fans
of the show that were it not for you the show would not have gone for ten
years. And I know right now that you're probably sad to hear that Season Ten
will be, at this stage, the last season. You should be really proud that
you've been part of it, and a major reason why you've had this show for so
long.
Cut back to Chris:
Chris: I really would like to thank the
fans for, in all sincerity for ten years of a wonderful, outrageous, rabid
support and with the announcement that I'm sure you all heard very recently,
that outpouring of love and support continues, and it's not taken for
granted... it's taken very seriously, it's taken to heart, and we feed on it
and it strengthens us and I truly, truly, truly would like to say thank you.