On Saturday January 3rd, the BBC announced which actor would play the 11th Doctor in “Doctor Who”. With the news that Robert Carlyle, a frontrunner, had been snapped up by “Stargate: Universe”, it left the field wide open. The hotly tipped favourite was Patterson Joseph, who, if cast, would have been the first black Doctor. Billie Piper was also said to be in the running for the first female Doctor.
In a 45 minute special, the BBC looked back over David Tennant’s tenure in the iconic role, teasing viewers with hints as to who the new Doctor would be. It was soon determined to be a man, and also the youngest Doctor ever. After a nailbiting 35 minutes, relative unknown Matt Smith, best known for playing a small role in the Billie Piper dramas “The Ruby In The Smoke” and “The Shadow In The North”, was announced as the new Doctor. At 26, he is three years younger than Peter Davison was when he was announced as the new Doctor in 1981.
There is divided opinion amongst fans, with some saying he’s too inexperienced, others that he doesn’t have the right “look”, but how successful he is remains to be seen. The same objections were heard when Chris Eccleston and David Tennant were cast, and certainly it could be argued that Tennant has become one of the most popular and iconic portrayals of the Doctor ever.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the showbiz agency UTA has settled their lawsuit against Joe Flanigan (John Sheppard in “Stargate: Atlantis”). UTA had been suing Flanigan for $99,225 US in lost commissions, after he had allegedly failed to pay them for season 4 of Atlantis. UTA had represented Flanigan since 1998, in a deal that saw Flanigan pay them 10% commission on projects, which included Atlantis. So far, Flanigan has not commented but UTA said that both parties “”have resolved their litigation on confidential terms and wish each other the best in the future.” Joe Flanigan is now represented by Innovative Artists, John Carrabino Management and CESD.
According to an article on the Sci-Fi Network website, Robert Carlyle, best known for his roles in the movies “Trainspotting” and “The Full Monty”, has been named by The Hollywood Reporter as having been cast in the role of Dr David Rush in “Stargate: Universe”. The Hollywood Reporter article quotes:
“Robert Carlyle brings a depth, intelligence and complexity to his roles, which will fit perfectly with the fresh, new reinvention of this franchise,” Sci Fi original-programming chief Mark Stern said.
Read the full article at The Hollywood Reporter website.
This is bound to cause a stir among Stargate fans, as, once again, the Stargate team casts against the grain in not giving a typical lead actor the lead role on what is undoubtedly a landmark show for both the Sci-Fi network and the Stargate franchise. Carlyle has a reputation for being cast in edgy, offbeat roles, so it will be interesting to see what the Scotsman can bring to the part of Dr David Rush. Will he, for once be allowed t keep his native Scots twang? Only time will tell…
Up to date on Stargate and general sci-fi news? Think of yourself as a bit of an expert when it comes to sci-fi in general? Then we need YOU! We are looking for regular, reliable contributors to the main site here, to help keep the main pages up to date and keep us at the forefront of Stargate news, as we always used to be.
If you think you fit the bill, go to the forum and PM Anise with why you want to contribute, and a few links to anything you’ve written online before, and we’ll consider your application. Good luck!
According to Gateworld, the first episode of the new series, “Stargate: Universe” is to be called the rather enigmatic “Air”, and is set to be an unprecedented three hours long! There are still few details as to the actual plotline of the pilot, but as news comes out, it will be available here.
So pre-production is ticking along on “Stargate: Universe”, the newest addition to the Stargate franchise family. According to Joe Mallozzi’s blog, half the season is pretty much written now, but still no news as to whether any of the leads have been cast.
The online grapevine has been worryingly silent on casting rumours, despite there being plenty of wishlists out there, so comment on who you would like to see in the lead roles!
For those ofyou who didn’t know, Joseph Mallozzi, the “Stargate: Atlantis” show-runner, has his own blog which he updates almost daily. At the moment, he’s taking his readers through a trip to Japan, concentrating heavily on his culinary adventures - he’s a big foodie, is our Mr Mallozzi!
Joe Mallozzi was a staunch supporter of the Save Carson campaign, and was instrumental in getting him back on the show for a few episodes. Check out his blog at http://www.josephmallozzi.wordpress.com - he gives some interesting insights into working on the show. They are currently “spinning” the new series, “Stargate: Universe”, so we can expect production to start relatively soon.
Just a quick note to say that the WordPress software for the main part of the site has been upgraded. It all appears to have gone through fine, but if you have any issues, please contact us using the support service.
The Gateroom’s Fic Archive at http://www.the-gateroom.com/fic has issued its Christmas Challenge!
The challenge is to write a Christmas story… not just any Christmas story! Write a story detailing Christmas Day in your chosen fandom. All fandoms are open for the challenge, and crossovers are actively encouraged. What do your characters get up to? How do they celebrate? Is there impending doom overshadowing their celebrations?
Minimum word count: 500
Maximum Word count: 10000
Go to http://www.the-gateroom.com/fic/browse.php?type=challenges to respond to the challenge!
Closing date of challenge: 31st December 2008
It now appears as though we have managed to fix the “fatal SQL” error, and stories are uploading and updating as they should. If you have any problems, with uploading, first check your “manage stories” list in your account section, and, if uploads are not appearing there, try again. If they are appearing there and not showing in “most recent”, please drop Anise a line using the “contact us” link on the fic pages.
The Gateroom’s fic archive is now open again, with the software upgrade having gone through, and a spanking new look, in keeping with the rest of the site, in place. To celebrate the successful (after a fashion) upgrade, we have added a new category to the site - we are now accepting stories based on the hit vampire show by Alan Ball (creator of “Six Feet Under) “True Blood”. Get writing, get submitting, and get reading and rating!