this isn't the 'official' chat transcipt, but it's pretty close.
some slight season 6 spoilers
Please bear in mind I tried for direct quotes but I can't write as fast as Brad can type. Some answers and questions are paraphrased but to the best of my ability I did not change the meaning or spirit of any of the Q's and A's
It was virtually impossible to keep track of who asked what so I'll simply settle for questions and answers.
Q
What is the future of the Stargate franchise?
A
According to Hank Cohen, we are still on track for the film and spin off.
Q
Any plans to bring back Daniel?
A
Great news. As of yesterday (2-27) MS agreed to do a guest role. Brad wrote it and MS read it.
Q
Are you worried that Stargate will go the way of the outer limits did when it moved to sci-fi?
A
Outer limits budget was severely cut when it moved to sci-fi. I made it clear to MGM that I was not interested in producing a show that was going to be severely curtailed by budget restrictions. SG1 is a big show and without a sufficient budget we will not be able to deliver the series the fans have come to know.
To their credit MGM stepped to the plate and gave us a large enough budget…
Q
Will we see the series returning to its original premise?
A
I don't believe we've left the original premise. I am as proud of season 5 as I am of any of the first three seasons. The original premise evolved
Q
Someone asked about the movie
A
Robert Cooper and Brad Wright are writing the movie script and have every intention of having MS in it as Daniel
Q
What loose ends are you tying up and what will you leave for the movie?
A
I'm not sure how much of this I want to tell you. Season 6 will build towards a climax. The actual climax is the feature. The spin-off will take place in a slightly altered continuation of the SG universe.
Q
(I didn't actually see this one asked but interpreted it from the answer)
Will there be a Stargate/Farscape crossover?
A
No
Q
Will you concentrate more on Sam & Teal'c and will Janet have a larger role given RDA's reduced role.
A
I don't think you will see much less of RDA than you already have seen on the last few seasons. While he'll be taking some time off,…we will do our best to schedule around it so that he appears prominately in almost every episode. After all he's the star.
Q
Are any characters from the series going to be in the spin off?
A
It's possible but since the series is still in development I couldn’t say
Q
How much is the spin-off going to influence season 6?
A
Not at all
Q
Is RDA funny on the set?
A
Yes. Absolutely. Rick and I have been friends and most of the time when I'm with him on the set or at a hockey game he makes me laugh.
Q
Is there any chance that a new SG team could take over after season 6 or 7?
A
That isn't very likely. SG-1 will remain in their incarnation for one more season. The spin off series will not be based on a military team
Q
How much Major Davis in season 6?
A
He will appear in the third eps, Descent
Q
How is the production team holding up in all the uproar?
A
What uproar? I'm kidding, I've received some pretty nasty letters in the past few months, and so has Joe Mallozzi. We understand how disappointed everyone is that MS left the show but I promised he would be back and he'll be back. Hopefully more than this one time, we'll have to see how it goes. I'm already working on a story with our writers that features Daniel, let's hope it works out.
Q
Tell us about Atlantis
A
I can't mainly because it will give away too much in future stories, feature film stories.
Q
How do you feel about a writer (Joe) interacting with the fans?
A
I don't mind. I often see his posts and how fans react to them. Joe has received a lot of angry mail lately. Because he's the one that goes online. But he's hardly to blame, or not at all to blame for anything, or any of the things the fans are angry about.
Q
Will you think about coming to SG5 or Gatecon?
A
I can't say with my mail lately that I have many fans personally. I'll be too busy for the next year or so writing and developing the rest of season 6 and the movie.
Q
Why do you insist on downplaying the disappointment over ms leaving?
A
Why? Because I have a show to make. MS and I had a long talk at the end of the last season. I wanted him to stay, he left. We're still friends, he's welcome back, for all those that say they'll stop watching, I'm sorry to hear that but at least you'll stop mailing me letters.
Q
If Joe isn't to blame, who is?
A
Me! Every show we develop is approved by me. Joe is a writer. I am a writer but the buck stops with me.
Q
Do you think the current situation could have been avoided?
A
I'm not sure. MS was unhappy midway through season 5. I knew there were several Daniel centric stories down the pipe but I also understood his frustration. He's a very talented actor and this was his first big job. Very few of us believed Stargate would go past five seasons including me. When it happened, I did not expect the entire cast to stay intact. It was one of my biggest concerns and I raised it with MGM. They believed that to properly extend the franchise and give the film a fighting chance we needed season 6. I hope fans watch Abyss, MS's first guest appearance. They'll know that on some level the team will go on.
We're halfway through production of the first two-part episode.
I think Corin Nemec as Jonah (Jonas) is going to be great a SG1's newest member. I know for many fans he won't replace MS but as I've said before, we're doing our best, he's doing his best, and it will be entertaining.
Q
Do you think fans have a lot of pull?
A
Many fans will think that their write in campaign was key in securing season 6. While Hank Cohen gives them credit in supporting us, I have to give credit to Hank Cohen for selling Stargate to Sci-fi after ShowTime basically canceled it
Q
I would have liked Stargate to end where it began
A
Me too.
Q
Have you seen reaction to Jonas? He isn't very well liked.
A
Not true! He's only not liked by Michael's devoted fans.
Q
Will we see more Sam & Teal'c?
A
Sam and Teal'c may find themselves closer than before with Daniel's demise. But I don't pretend to know what the new team dynamic will be. I can only help them create it. Corin, Chris, Amanda and of course Rick all provide their own input.
Q
Why did ShowTime cancel Stargate?
A
I suppose because Stargate appears so much in syndication. ShowTime thought the show was no longer identifiable with them. I was surprised because we were still among their highest rated shows. But sci-fi has been very welcoming to us and we're happy to have a home.
Q
I think you're in for a rude awakening. What if MS fans are right?
A
That maybe so. But I doubt it. Our ratings for season 4 syndication have been as high as they've ever been.
Q
No one likes the idea of a coward, liar and thief suddenly merrily romping around with the friends of a guy he allowed to die.
A
You must be one of the people who isn't going to be watching the show anymore. It's a shame that you won't find out what a great character Jonas is becoming.
some slight season 6 spoilers
Please bear in mind I tried for direct quotes but I can't write as fast as Brad can type. Some answers and questions are paraphrased but to the best of my ability I did not change the meaning or spirit of any of the Q's and A's
It was virtually impossible to keep track of who asked what so I'll simply settle for questions and answers.
Q
What is the future of the Stargate franchise?
A
According to Hank Cohen, we are still on track for the film and spin off.
Q
Any plans to bring back Daniel?
A
Great news. As of yesterday (2-27) MS agreed to do a guest role. Brad wrote it and MS read it.
Q
Are you worried that Stargate will go the way of the outer limits did when it moved to sci-fi?
A
Outer limits budget was severely cut when it moved to sci-fi. I made it clear to MGM that I was not interested in producing a show that was going to be severely curtailed by budget restrictions. SG1 is a big show and without a sufficient budget we will not be able to deliver the series the fans have come to know.
To their credit MGM stepped to the plate and gave us a large enough budget…
Q
Will we see the series returning to its original premise?
A
I don't believe we've left the original premise. I am as proud of season 5 as I am of any of the first three seasons. The original premise evolved
Q
Someone asked about the movie
A
Robert Cooper and Brad Wright are writing the movie script and have every intention of having MS in it as Daniel
Q
What loose ends are you tying up and what will you leave for the movie?
A
I'm not sure how much of this I want to tell you. Season 6 will build towards a climax. The actual climax is the feature. The spin-off will take place in a slightly altered continuation of the SG universe.
Q
(I didn't actually see this one asked but interpreted it from the answer)
Will there be a Stargate/Farscape crossover?
A
No
Q
Will you concentrate more on Sam & Teal'c and will Janet have a larger role given RDA's reduced role.
A
I don't think you will see much less of RDA than you already have seen on the last few seasons. While he'll be taking some time off,…we will do our best to schedule around it so that he appears prominately in almost every episode. After all he's the star.
Q
Are any characters from the series going to be in the spin off?
A
It's possible but since the series is still in development I couldn’t say
Q
How much is the spin-off going to influence season 6?
A
Not at all
Q
Is RDA funny on the set?
A
Yes. Absolutely. Rick and I have been friends and most of the time when I'm with him on the set or at a hockey game he makes me laugh.
Q
Is there any chance that a new SG team could take over after season 6 or 7?
A
That isn't very likely. SG-1 will remain in their incarnation for one more season. The spin off series will not be based on a military team
Q
How much Major Davis in season 6?
A
He will appear in the third eps, Descent
Q
How is the production team holding up in all the uproar?
A
What uproar? I'm kidding, I've received some pretty nasty letters in the past few months, and so has Joe Mallozzi. We understand how disappointed everyone is that MS left the show but I promised he would be back and he'll be back. Hopefully more than this one time, we'll have to see how it goes. I'm already working on a story with our writers that features Daniel, let's hope it works out.
Q
Tell us about Atlantis
A
I can't mainly because it will give away too much in future stories, feature film stories.
Q
How do you feel about a writer (Joe) interacting with the fans?
A
I don't mind. I often see his posts and how fans react to them. Joe has received a lot of angry mail lately. Because he's the one that goes online. But he's hardly to blame, or not at all to blame for anything, or any of the things the fans are angry about.
Q
Will you think about coming to SG5 or Gatecon?
A
I can't say with my mail lately that I have many fans personally. I'll be too busy for the next year or so writing and developing the rest of season 6 and the movie.
Q
Why do you insist on downplaying the disappointment over ms leaving?
A
Why? Because I have a show to make. MS and I had a long talk at the end of the last season. I wanted him to stay, he left. We're still friends, he's welcome back, for all those that say they'll stop watching, I'm sorry to hear that but at least you'll stop mailing me letters.
Q
If Joe isn't to blame, who is?
A
Me! Every show we develop is approved by me. Joe is a writer. I am a writer but the buck stops with me.
Q
Do you think the current situation could have been avoided?
A
I'm not sure. MS was unhappy midway through season 5. I knew there were several Daniel centric stories down the pipe but I also understood his frustration. He's a very talented actor and this was his first big job. Very few of us believed Stargate would go past five seasons including me. When it happened, I did not expect the entire cast to stay intact. It was one of my biggest concerns and I raised it with MGM. They believed that to properly extend the franchise and give the film a fighting chance we needed season 6. I hope fans watch Abyss, MS's first guest appearance. They'll know that on some level the team will go on.
We're halfway through production of the first two-part episode.
I think Corin Nemec as Jonah (Jonas) is going to be great a SG1's newest member. I know for many fans he won't replace MS but as I've said before, we're doing our best, he's doing his best, and it will be entertaining.
Q
Do you think fans have a lot of pull?
A
Many fans will think that their write in campaign was key in securing season 6. While Hank Cohen gives them credit in supporting us, I have to give credit to Hank Cohen for selling Stargate to Sci-fi after ShowTime basically canceled it
Q
I would have liked Stargate to end where it began
A
Me too.
Q
Have you seen reaction to Jonas? He isn't very well liked.
A
Not true! He's only not liked by Michael's devoted fans.
Q
Will we see more Sam & Teal'c?
A
Sam and Teal'c may find themselves closer than before with Daniel's demise. But I don't pretend to know what the new team dynamic will be. I can only help them create it. Corin, Chris, Amanda and of course Rick all provide their own input.
Q
Why did ShowTime cancel Stargate?
A
I suppose because Stargate appears so much in syndication. ShowTime thought the show was no longer identifiable with them. I was surprised because we were still among their highest rated shows. But sci-fi has been very welcoming to us and we're happy to have a home.
Q
I think you're in for a rude awakening. What if MS fans are right?
A
That maybe so. But I doubt it. Our ratings for season 4 syndication have been as high as they've ever been.
Q
No one likes the idea of a coward, liar and thief suddenly merrily romping around with the friends of a guy he allowed to die.
A
You must be one of the people who isn't going to be watching the show anymore. It's a shame that you won't find out what a great character Jonas is becoming.
