Stargate Atlantis Season 4: Joe Mallozzi (3)

MM:  You just appeared on the Weather Channel, didn’t you?

Joe:  In fact I was!!   Ross Hull who’s an actor worked on a show we did called Student Bodies.  We wrote a third of the 65-episode run.  It’s a teen sitcom.  And he’s working with Weather Channel.  And he said "we’re always looking for weather related stories to do and I’d like to a story about how weather effects production.”  I missed it.  Was it any good? 

[bit o’ trivia – Hull also appeared in an episode of Atlantis titled "Suspicion."]

MM:  I don’t know.  I was surfing the net, looking for interesting stuff and I stumbled upon someone’s Live Journal and they said, “I saw Joe Mallozzi…” so apparently a lot of people in Canada saw it….

Joe: [grinning]   Maybe someone will post it on youtube.  That’s where I usually find my interviews.

MM:  Yeah – Youtube is primary source material now.  So in terms of any other SG-1 cast members, will we be seeing any more on Atlantis?

Joe:  Teal’c for sure…he does a cameo in "Reunion."   We wanted to do a good-bye scene for Carter and I asked  Chris Judge and he was so good about it.   A lot of the fans always wondered, who would win in a fight -  Ronon or Teal’C?  That’s a very interesting question.  We came up with a story idea where the two warriors face off, and what would it be like if the two of them got together and then had to face a threat together.  We pitched out the story idea and everyone liked it.  And we approached Chris and he’s always game.  It’s a great, great story.  It’s called "Midway."  Carl Binder is writing it.  That will be in the back half of season. 

I’d love to get Daniel [played by Michael Shanks] on Atlantis.  Of any character, it would make more sense for him to come to Atlantis.  I was thinking maybe some sort of Ancient related story.  We do have that slot open.  There’s a possibility he could figure in the season finale.  Preferably though it would be more of an episode where he would drive the action.  But really, it depends on budget just because we’re nearing the end of the season and we have to see how much we have to play w/.  If it’s not possible this season, then next season definitely, we definitely have to do a Daniel comes to Atlantis story - at least one episode.

MM:  Have you had any indications from SCI FI about a season five?

Joe:  They’re playing their cards pretty close to the vest.  The back half of season three was disheartening.  The ratings suffered.  In all fairness, SCI FI, network, cable ratings all suffered [last April] across the board.  There’s a correlation in drop of viewership and increased use of DVR, and I read if you factored in up to a full week of viewing we would recoup the audience lost.  It seems they’re slow to adjust to the technology and incorporate those audiences into ratings.  SCI FI is the most DVR’d channel.  They’re sci fi fans, they’re tech savvy.  And the back half of season three – something I brought up -  by the time it aired on SCI FI, it had premiered in Canada, the U.K., and on the Internet.  All the spoilers were out.  How much that affected the ratings, I don’t know.

Also, in the back of my mind – something that I’m worried about - we don’t have the SG1 lead in any more.  

MM:  What about Richard Dean Anderson.  Any chance we might see him on Atlantis?

Joe:  He’ll do the movies.  As w/ every story line or possible guest star, we say it’s possible.  Who knows but the reality is: Rick is an expensive, expensive actor.   I’m not saying never but….[laughing] we could blow up a lot a stuff for what we would pay him to make an appearance on the show…blow up a lot of ships.

MM:  I had a chat w/ Amanda [Tapping] about her new role.  It’s a different responsibility for Carter – she’s a military person, accustomed to military command.  When I first talked to Brad Wright about Atlantis, he talked about how he imagined the person running the facility as civilian.  Is Carter stepping into a civilian role?

Joe.  No, she’s still military. One of things I point out when people say, “it’s not an international mission anymore, it’s a military mission” -  it’s still an international mission.  The scientists remain, it’s a diverse mix of individuals that make up the mission.  The reality is as soon as they faced the threat of the Wraiths - after "No Man’s Land" when the Wraith threatened earth, it became obvious that the military would have to have more of a presence. The question I would ask is not so much why is the military becoming involved, but what took them so long?

I think Carter is a perfect candidate. She has experience w/ Replicators, the leadership abilities, science background and military background.  She’s the compromise candidate.  She has the connections.  Jack can give her a recommendation from Washington, Woolsey can give her an IOA recommendation.  If there’s any candidate who is the perfect person to take over Atlantis, it would be her.  And she does!

MM:  And she looks great too.

Joe:  She does look great!  With her new look and her long hair.

MM:  Let her keep her long hair,  Joe.

Joe:  Yes, I will.