BOBW XI Stargate SG-1 In Review

[ShelbyS]

It's really long so I'm going to post it in sections so it dosn't take as long and you guys can all read it easier.

Well, BOBWXI was the first convention I had ever attended. It was incredibly exciting and lots of fun. After getting up at 430AM to drive all the way to Sydney, catch the monorail and walk two blocks to the hotel, I was very eager to see what it was going to be like. Approximately 160 people attended the Convention on Saturday, with many of them planning to also attend on Sunday. There were people there from NSW, SA, Vic, ACT and QLD. Most people there were 25+ with maybe about 20 people under the age of 18.

Firstly, I'll start off by talking about the guests who attended. The schedule was for Chris Judge (Teal'c), Teryl Rothery (Dr. Frazier) and Don S. Davis (General. Hammond) to be appearing. Unfortunately Christopher Judge was unable to attend due to filming commitments of a new movie he is currently appearing in. This was very disappointing until we were told that Peter Williams (Apophis) would be replacing him.

 

[ShelbyS]

PETER WILLIAMS: Peter was the first to speak at the beginning of the day. It was Peter's 5th Con, his second in Australia (he first appeared at BOBW VI). He was absolutely FANTASTIC (this is not an exaggeration). He was very laid back and genuinely enjoyed being there. On a personal observation, he is one of the most gorgeous men I have ever seen. He was extremely funny and friendly to the audience. Unlike Teryl and Don, he had a very wide knowledge of episodes and Stargate mythology. When a question was asked about a particular episode he knew exactly what we were talking about. Peter said he is contracted to do 3 episodes a season, this is why we don't see him more often (he said he would hopefully like to increase this number in the future). He also talked in great depth about his expectations and what he would like to see happen with his character. He thinks it would be good if they showed a bit more about the background and hierarchy of the Goa'uld System Lords and where each fits in. He also said he would like to see a major fight between Apophis and another System Lord. One of his main thoughts was also that he would like to see Apophis finally win one against the SGC and raise the stakes in the "war" between them. He also commented on Apophis's relationship with Teal'c and says he would like to some kind of showdown between the two, he thinks they still have unfinished business. In his own words he said "He isn't finished with that Sholva (traitor)". He commented on the Goa'uld language and said that basically it was just a lot of gibberish that he has to deliver slowly so that it can be electronically altered. However, he said that they were trying to base a lot more of it on Ancient Egyptian these days.

Peter talked about the fans and how kind they were and told us a story about getting recognised in Sydney last time he was here. He talked about working on the show and how talented his co-cast members were. He said RDA was exactly like Jack O'Neill in the respect that everything that comes out of his mouth is a quip. He said is RDA is incredibly intelligent and witty. He also said, despite what a lot of people have heard and think, Michael Shanks actually is a nice guy. I asked him what it was like wearing the Serpent Guard outfit. He said it weighs about 60pounds and is really heavy and hot to wear. He also joked how some of the men who play serpent guards are bouncers from local nightclubs in Vancouver because they've all got really muscley shoulders and can handle the weight of the costume. After he left there was a break and Peter was kind enough to get his picture taken with a few people. I got my picture taken with him which I will post later. After we got our picture taken he actually stopped for about 5 minutes and talked to my dad one on one. He wanted to look at our digital camera that we were using because he was planning on buying one. It was so cool. He shook my hand too, I was totally excited and all I could do was smile like an idiot and say "Thankyou so much." I though I was going to faint. He was so friendly.

 

[ShelbyS]

TERYL ROTHERY: This woman is totally the opposite of Janet Frazier. She was bright and bubbly and very excited. She told us stories about Don S. Davis and trying to get him to go swimming on the Great Barrier Reef. She says Don is really like a father to her. She talked about what it was like working on the show and how much she enjoys it and how much she's looking forward to Season 5. She said that she is contracted to about 15 episodes a season. She talked about being a doctor on TV and said that her and Amanda were the Techno-Babes because they both have to deliver technical dialogue on the show. She told a few funny stories about things that happen on the set and also about bloopers.

 

[ShelbyS]

DON S. DAVIS: The MC of the Convention made us all stand at attention as "General Hammond" entered the room. The audience really went off for him. Don was very funny and kept making silly jokes. He also talked very seriously and in depth about Method Acting and what he does to become General Hammond and how important it is to know your character, everything from what music they would like to what kind of car they would drive. He is extremely intelligent. He has a Ph.D. and taught for 20 years at a University in British Columbia. He was also a Captain in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He talked about his acting history, starting out in small 5 minute roles and also about his time on MacGyver and Twin Peaks (he said it was his big break). He was also asked about the mythology of the show and how is parallels with ancient earth culture (such as Egyptian and Greek history). He said he feels this is what sets the show apart from other SciFi shows. He likes the idea that the show is based around something that is real and the audience can identify with it. He said that the writers of the show take the mythology very seriously and are trying to create something that the show can grow and mature around. He also commented on the level of character development and how each of the four core actors of the show play their parts so well that the characters drive the stories and complement the scientific aspects of the show really well. Don also talked about how important it was that the show use proper military protocol to make it real. He also briefly talked about his holiday on the Barrier Reef and getting sunburned. He also said that Teryl was like his daughter and that he is very protective of her. The two of them are very good friends.

 

[ShelbyS]

PROF. CHRIS ILLERT: All I have to say about this guy is that he seemed more interested in showing us his happy snaps from his trip to Italy rather than trying to explain the Physics of the Stargate. Half the room was empty when he talked, he was that boring. Everyone was over in the Dealers room buying merchandise when this guy spoke. Basically he said that the Stargate universe was a six dimensional shape and that when they go through the Stargate it's like setting off 100 Atom bombs. He said that if there was really a gate it would take millions of computers to store the information for transporting a person and that you wouldn't see anything when you go through the gate (like on the show how they do that cool tunnel wormhole effect), that you would just pop out the other side. Also, he seemed to talk more about Star Trek than Gate.

GROUP SESSION: ALL 3 STARS
This was a very interesting session, although half of it was a celebrity auction. One of the main questions that was asked was is there going to be a Stargate Movie. They said that there had been rumors about it but none of them had been approached about doing a film. They speculated that the film may be like the original in the respect that the SG-1 cast may not be used, that instead Kurt Russel etc. would be. Peter said he was against this because he feels that a film with the movie cast would take away from the SG-1 series. He urged everyone to send emails to MGM saying if they make a film that we want the cast of SG-1 to star in it. Again, they say it is only speculation and rumor that they have heard, nothing is definite. They were also asked about Martouf and his death. All they said to this was that it is SciFi and you never know, he might come back. Peter was also asked about Skaara and if we'll see him again. He said he didn't know but he doesn’t think there are any plans for us to see him for a while, but it's always a possibility. We asked them if they knew anything about the ratings of the show (particularly in Australia), we told them how Channel 7 said they may take it off the air here in Australia. They were unsure what the rating from anywhere around the world, as said that they didn't know anything about it being taken off air, in fact that had done some promos for the show in Sydney Harbour yesterday. There was also a auction where they auction off a army jacket with both SG-1 and PofO patches on it, a script "Prodigy" from Season 4 (The 3 guests read a scene from the script trying to get bids higher. Teryl did Sam's part, Peter played another character and Gen. Hammond did his own part - it was hilarious), there was also a replica of the Tok'Ra Memory Device used in "Jolinar's Memories" and "The Devil You Know" (bidding for this item started off really slow but picked up once Peter hinted that one day the Tok'Ra may be extinct - I'm not sure if he was just saying this or was hinting something for the future.), and a set of original blue prints for the gate ramp.

 

[ShelbyS]

AUTOGRAPH SESSION: This was really fantastic. All three cast member took time to talk to each person they signed for. I got Peter to sign a black and white gloss photo of Apophis is Serpent Guard uniform (he wrote "To Shelby, One Love, PJWilliams"). God he is soooooo cute. This was definitely one of the highlights of my day/my life. He also signed my program along with Teryl and Don (who called me Deary - he was so nice, it was kinda weird though standing face to face with General. Hammond - coolest voice though.)

THE DEALERS ROOM
There were 5 Dealers at the Con. One who was selling Gloss Photos, one who sold S2 Videos and DVDs, one who sold other SG-1 Merchandise (such as key rings, patches, figureines - though only the movie ones, and other bits and pieces), one who sold necklaces with weird glyphs on them that mean something (though none of the glyphs were from Stargate) called Starcode, Chris Illert's book table and the Guide Dog Assc. Overall, not much stuff there and all of it was very expensive, except for the vids which were only $19. I spent way to much money and brought two gloss photos (one of Apophis, the other of SG-1), soundtrack which was already autographed by Chris Judge, PofO patch and the last 3 videos of S2.

BOBW gave everyone there a huge SG-1 poster and a little bag that contained a piece of paper with ep names, Jaffa tattoo sticker thingy, calculator with SG-1 written on it, world time converter wheel crappy cardboard thingy with MGM symbol, voucher to XERTS Restaurant and an ad for SG1 online store. Also got a cool laminated tag that we had to wear with SGC symbol on the front and our seat number of the back.

 

[ShelbyS]

I just go my second alien - Cool, wooo hooo)


Review of BOBW XI Organisation:
Although the 3 Guest Stars were ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC, the actual running of the Convention was VERY VERY POOR. They started almost 45mins late and the organisation by BOBW was very BAD. The room was small and cramped with no air conditioning. The screen which they showed two documentaries about the making of Stargate SG-1, was small and fuzzy and no one at the back could see it. There were also problems with the microphones, lighting and just about everything else. Because of their unorganisation, the stars only got to speak for about 30 mins each even though they were scheduled for 45 mins each. Also the MC was a smug, sarcastic SOB who really ruined it for a lot of people I talked to. One women proposed during a break that we all get together and sign a petition to Channel 7 about not taking the show off the air and our concerns that they will. The MC laughed at her and said it was a stupid idea because in HIS opinion the ratings were fine (mind you he knows nothing about the ratings). For the amount of money that it cost for a ticket, it was very poorly organised and that put me off a lot from going to another one done by BOBW.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

STARS: 10/10. I especially loved Peter Williams, he's truly wonderful, and really hot!!!

It was just like being friends with the stars. There was not one ego in that room (except for maybe that MC guy). They were all casual and friendly. It was like talking to people you felt you already knew. They even managed to remember people from cons in Vancouver and the UK. They conducted themselves perfectly. My admiration for them is extremely high. There were alot of people who came a long way and they took the time to really get to know everyone.
Although i did not go to the Cocktail party I talked to a few people about it and they said it was fantastic because you got to mingle with the guests and really get to talk to them one on one in a relaxed, friendly environment.

BOBW Organisation: 2/10. They've done this 11 times already, you would think that they could get it together by now.

 

[ShelbyS]

Okay, guys so there it is. I got it up as quick as I could considering I didn't get home till 11PM and then I had to work today from 10AM to 1PM.

I tried to say everything possible, though I'm sure I left some things out, but alot was said. I'm going to try and get the pics up soon, so hang in there.
Questions?????? Comments???

BTW: The next Con is in October. There is no guest list avaliable yet though.

 

[ShelbyS]

Okay, so I've established that I cannot paste pics into this box. Can someone tell me how to post pictures?????

 

[JAD]

thanks shelby, you are the most popular person here right now great review, buddy. so next stargate con in october, i am really thinking of going, what about you? was there any episode spoilers? you mentioned a little above. where abous was you seated, and dammit we want some pictures. im glad i waited for 2 1/2 hours for this.

 

[JAD]

okay to put pictures on the forums, you must upload them to a server on the internet. and then use the

 

[ShelbyS]

Okay, JAD will do. Thanks a bunch.
I'll send them to you now from my dad's email cos my web based one dosn't let me send anything above 500k. Hold on.

 

[JAD]

holding.........................................

 

[ShelbyS]

Okay JAD, it just finished going out. Check your em. It's pretty big. There are about 20 pics. jpg though so still small. it'll take a while to come in though.

 

[JAD]

checking email......

 

[JAD]

shelby i thnk you have sent them to the wrong address you told me in the other thread that you sent them to stargate@i7.mail.com.au my address is stargate@i7mail.com.au there is not . between i7mail are you going to re send them?

 

[ShelbyS]

Originally posted by JAD69
thanks shelby, you are the most popular person here right now great review, buddy. so next stargate con in october, i am really thinking of going, what about you? was there any episode spoilers? you mentioned a little above. where abous was you seated, and dammit we want some pictures. im glad i waited for 2 1/2 hours for this.

Thanks, Glad you liked the review. I might go to the next con, depends who is going to be there but they said that it was going to have a major star who HASN'T appeared in Australia before. I have a feeling it may be Tony Amendola (Bra'tac).

There was only one small spoiler. All stars made sure they didn't give away spoilers. It was funny watching Teryl trying to explain things without giving away eps. It was funny. Anyway, one thing she did say was that in 2010 there is some underplaying subtle character action between her and one of the main characters, but you have to watch really closely to see it. Personally I think she was hinting that there is something going on between Frazier and Daniel (romantically etc.). But then again, I haven't seen the epy.

I was seat 126 about 11 rows back from the stage. I got some really good close up pictures of them on stage though cos dad went up to the front and took them.

pics are on their way to the RIGHT address this time.

 

[JAD]

Originally posted by ShelbyS

Thanks, Glad you liked the review. I might go to the next con, depends who is going to be there but they said that it was going to have a major star who HASN'T appeared in Australia before. I have a feeling it may be Tony Amendola (Bra'tac).

[/B]

Tony Amendola has been to Australia before, but i bet you it is Amanda Tapping who is coming over, im there if she is

 

[Martouf]

you are also my best friend too shelby YOU ARE SOOO LUCKY!!!!!!
great review..... I WISH I WENT!!!! (i betcha your disappointed JAD?)

next one in october hey? hmm..... *thinks about breaking his bank balance*

 

[jsc]

Dear ShelbyS and JAD69.

Thank you both for your efforts! Shelby you did great reporting on the BOBW11 convention! Muchas Gracias! Many Tanks!! Much heartfelt thanks. It is a shame that the organizers were not more able! Sounds as if the MC could use a few shoes thrown at him! Darn!

Glad to hear about sweet TR, wonderful PW (only three shows a year! DARN!), and DSD. I hope you had as grand a time talking with them and the other people at the convention as I did reading about it. Again, Thanks!

JAD69 hope you get the picts up soon!