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I decided to go ahead and make an initial news dump from the Burbank convention to pass along items that might be of particular interest, then I'll do a descriptive report on the rest later. There are a few minor spoiler bits to report (thanks to Katee...surprise!) so everything will be behind the cut, but I'll also drop all the spoilers down to the very bottom for those who wish to avoid them. First, the Battlestar Galactica convention was sharing facilities this year with the Stargate SG1/Atlantis convention. Gold Ticket members of either convention were allowed general admission to the other convention, and anyone could attend photo ops or autograph signings from either event. It was good and bad, as it increased the variety of panels to choose from, but it also made things much more crowded -- particularly at the Saturday Dessert and Sunday Brunch, which were combined events for Gold Ticket members of both conventions -- and the facilities at the Burbank convention center just aren't that big. And BTW, next year it will be a triple-event with BSG, SG1/SGA, and Firefly all sharing the same space. Believe it or not, there really wasn't much talk about the strike beyond the fact that ALL of the guests support the WGA 100%. BSG cast members are currently unemployed, but because it's the holiday season none of them really seemed to mind too terribly much at this point. Katee mentioned that this is the first Thanksgiving in 9 years that she doesn't have to work, so she's actually enjoying it right now, though she doesn't want it to last beyond January 2nd. No real news to report from Kate Vernon. It was great to see her, but she didn't have any recent projects to speak of...though we will see Ellen Tigh again in season 4. No, she isn't the 12th Cylon, but Saul's issues over murdering his wife for collaborating with the Cylons will naturally be further complicated by the fact that he IS a Cylon. So expect more flashbacks, hallucinations, dreams...that kind of thing. I don't have much to report on from Tahmoh Penikett either because his session occurred at the same time as Michael Shanks'. I saw Tahmoh at Burbank last year and I had never seen Michael Shanks before so... I do know that Tahmoh and Grace were going out on the town in Hollywood on Saturday night, and possibly taking Michael Trucco along as well. So there just might be some paparazzi pics floating around out there somewhere. Check those photo editorial websites. Cliff Simon (Ba'al) reported that in the upcoming SG1 movie, Ba'al does die. Or I should say that at least one of his clones dies...again. And we will finally get the real Ba'al to stand up and take a bow. There was also the implication that Ba'al just might figure rather prominently into the planned 3rd Stargate series. Michael Shanks confirmed that production on SGA is not affected by the WGA strike because all of the writers on Atlantis are WGC. Daniel Jackson will also be making a guest appearance on Atlantis later this season. The "plan" at this point is to continue doing one SG1 movie a year (probably for DVD release like the two already in the can) and a 3rd movie was just recently pitched to MGM, approval still pending. His project (where he plays the devil) with Chris Judge is still moving forward and they are in the process of securing a distribution deal. He and Claudia Black plan to work together on a comedy project once she's had a little more time with the new baby who was born just a few weeks ago. Other than that, he's been taking it easy lately and has been too lazy to visit a barber, hence the need for a baseball hat to hide his long hair (and no he couldn't be persuaded to take the hat off!). Katee Sackhoff is done with Bionic Woman, and not just because of the strike. She has a meeting with one of the producers after Thanksgiving, but does not expect to return to the show even if it does resume production (which I don't personally believe will happen anyway). She is even already trying to divorce herself from being associated with Sarah Corviss. Katee never came out and explicitly stated the reason for her departure from the show, but her thinly veiled sassy comments made it pretty apparent that there isn't a lot of love going on between her and Michelle Ryan. (Frankly, I'd go so far as to say that Katee was skating a fine line toward being rather unprofessional at times. I'm no fan of Michelle Ryan or Bionic Woman, but it's bad form in any industry to insult your co-workers in front of the customers, and Katee needs to be careful that she doesn't start burning bridges.) She will be spending Thanksgiving with her boyfriend and his family in Mexico and has no plans to work until at least after the holidays. Episode 4.11 is the last episode they filmed before shutting down on Friday, and Katee said it could serve as a SERIES finale...if necessary...but she personally believes the strike will be resolved no later than January and they will resume filming soon after. Jamie and his family will be spending Thanksgiving with Mary McDonnell and Christmas with other friends in the LA area. Like Katee, he has no definite plans to work during the holiday season, except doing some writing of his own on a few projects that he hopes to produce once BSG has completely wrapped, but he is looking around at other unspecified opportunities now as well. I may have some other non-Hollywood related news to report about Jamie and Katee's future activities, but it remains TBD at this point, so I'll withhold specifics on that for now. {keeping fingers crossed}
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On November 20th, 2007 06:52 am (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: hi, I'm new here... And being that I'm not a BG fan (not because I've anything against it, I don't have cable so I've never seen the show) I hope you don't mind my "crashing" your blog. I just wanted to ask about Katee not returning to BW. I realize it's almost certainly a moot point since I too am practically sure that BW is not long for this world. But I'm so curious that I was wondering, would you mind posting a quote of what Katee said about not coming back to the show? Or better yet, if you were allowed to take one, a video clip of it? Or were cameras not allowed? I don't know much about either Katee or Michelle Ryan but I must say that I'm sad and more than a little shocked if they didn't get along and I can't imagine why that would be. Everything I've seen of both of them shows them to be very professional and humble people. Now I get that sometimes the chemistry is off and no one gets along with absolutely everyone but even still...very weird. The only thing I can think of is everyone's made such a big deal about how Katee upstages Michelle in the show that it caused tension between them and the writers wrote Katee out to keep her from stealing the spotlight away from Michelle. But even then I just can't picture either of them being catty. Especially not after watching the earlier scifi convention video that came out before the show began where they were both so complimentary toward each other. That's pretty awful if what you said about Katee being called names is actually true. I do wholeheartedly agree, much as I loved Michelle Ryan on Jekyl, that BW is painfully bad and Katee was the best part of it by light years-far. Thanks for the report. Re: hi, I'm new here... Video taping is prohibited by Creation. Still cameras only. And I can't claim to have a perfect memory, so nothing that I report should be accepted as an exact quote, but I'll try to be as concise as I can. And you should remember that facial expressions communicate volumes and Katee is a VERY facially animated person, but it's difficult to pass that kind of thing along though a keyboard. At the Sunday breakfast, Katee was asked by someone at our table when she would be back on BW, and she replied that she wouldn't. Not at all. The response at the table was to tell her she was the best part of the show, to which Katee replied, "Maybe that's the reason." Later in the stage session when the subject of BW came up, Katee made a snarky comment about how the ratings for BW were {insert razzberry sound here} and it's unknown if NBC will resume production on the show after the strike, and if they don't it's no big deal to her. After again being told she was the best part of the show, she rather sarcastically asked the crowd if it's any wonder why the ratings are so low. The crowd supplied the answer (Michelle) to which Katee made no verbal response but through her animated faces (winces, rolling eyes, etc) and body language it was very plain that she agreed. She mentioned how when a fan comes up to her asking, "Are you Sarah Corviss?" she will actually tell them, "No, but I'm Starbuck!" I wish I could remember exactly what the name was that Katee said they had given her on the set of BW. It was a combination of words along the lines of "difficult b!tch" but I don't recall the actual descriptor. Perhaps another convention goer will be able to report it correctly. I also think it says a great deal that although Katee never came out and pointed direct fingers at anybody on BW, she didn't offer any supportive words about the production or about Michelle, even when the audience had unflattering things to say about them. She accepted the criticisms of Michelle with a smile, wink, nudge, etc. I saw Michelle Ryan at Comic Con and she certainly presented herself like a very personable lady, and even quite reserved compared to Katee, but of course I wouldn't have any clue what she's really like. Katee can be catty at times (just as she was in Burbank), though most of the time when she pokes fun at people it's all in good humor (such as calling Jamie Bamber a Bozo). Maybe Michelle is jealous and feels threatend by Katee...or perhaps Katee is accustomed to being the star and rankles at having to play second string. Or it could be both of those things. I happen to think it's most likely that if there are interpersonal problems both parties share the blame. But if NBC does still plan keep BW and nurture the show for the future then the blame game is irrelevent; the producers have to support their star over any recurring guest players. |
Thanks for the goodies as always. That's surprising about Katee because she's always been very supportive of Michelle Ryan in the past, even at the most recent convention which was only a little over a month ago. I wonder what finally managed to break her... Very cool that Jamie and Mary are spending Thanksgiving together. :D As for the spoilers: Oh, scenes on Earth! I only hope the Leoben is not!Leoben because the other one creeps me out. ;) And Ron said a couple months ago that the actor who plays the last cylon has been told, so I guess that means it's not Kara if Katee still doesn't know. But I'm still going to cling to my Hybrid theory. ;) I agree that Kara probably won't be #12. ..Socrata is dead, so she's not #12 either. If Kara is a hybrid, who's the Cylon daddy? Saul? Sam? (That would be woopsie! moment, wouldn't it.) Then again, when Katee was told to "sell" Starbuck's death to her co-workers, they bought it hook-line-and-sinker. Can we really be certain that Katee isn't selling us all another whopper? ;) |
On November 21st, 2007 08:33 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: I was at the convention too. I was sitting way in the back when Katee was asking why BW was so low in the ratings. From what I heard, the response from the crowd was mainly, "because you're not in it enough", to which she replied something like, "well, I didn't say it". But again, I was in the back and couldn't hear what anyone was saying in the front. I had no idea she and Michelle did not get along. But yeah, she did mention she was meeting with a new BW show-runner to discuss her future on it. I did get the impression she didn't like the show very much and steers people to watch Battlestar instead. She promised that despite the strike, Battlestar will finish all its intended episodes eventually because having a complete season is more profitable with syndication and all that. She also told an unrelated story where she and Tahmoh went out drinking in Hollywood when they were both single and he started to grope her butt and lick her neck when the paparazzi were outside Bar Marmont (they were drunk). She talked about drinking a lot! I did get to meet Jamie Bamber and he really was the nicest, sweetest person. Probably the nicest "celeb" I've ever met. Katee was a little indifferent towards me, which was a little disappointing, but I know it was a long day with tons of people in her face. It was fun though. -Jen On November 22nd, 2007 12:03 am (UTC), (Anonymous) replied: Are you sure you interpreted things correctly, because every other report I've read from the con says that Katee did not insult MR in any way,and did not say she had quit the show. (although she wasn't happy with it). I think you have to be careful with the facts as your blog appears to be quoted as gospel on many sites (including USA Today) |
On November 22nd, 2007 08:47 am (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: I have no idea what was said or implied at a breakfast table, so no comment on that. But I will add that I recall the shout from the crowd of 'no Katee' and that it appeared that was what she was responding to - her reaction followed immediately upon it and was directed to the area that it came from. I had no doubt that's what she was reacting to at the time, and was surprised to read the 'Michelle' comment in this LJ. I've no arguments with anybody, but it was not my experience that she directed any type of comment or expression toward Michelle Ryan while she was on stage. |
Thanks for the con report--lots of interesting tidbits! And thanks for separating the spoilers so that I could avoid them! |
On November 23rd, 2007 10:25 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: Just wondering how one can make the assumption that an actress isn't attractive enough to be the star/lead when she can play a bit part on a big show and steal the thing from everyone? Reviews of BW almost universally stated that she was the REAL STAR of that show,that it was blatantly obvious, that she blew everyone else off the screen and that she was the only saving grace of a shoddy show. That the show's (technical) star vanished whenever they were on screen together. You must have read the reviews - this isn't a figment of my imagination. All this regardless of whether or not she has the girl next door looks of MR. Almost everyone seems/seemed to want her on that show in a much bigger role or to take over the lead entirely. Isn't that what a real star is? Someone that people find compelling and turn on to watch. It's not something that can be manufactured - it is just there. It's x-factor, which KS seems to have in spades. I'm sure the bean counters have noticed after the this whole BW debacle and are tossing around ways of turning it all into $$$. If not, they really aren't earning their keep.
ps I think that if you surveyed your readers you'd find that an overwhelming majority found KS smoking hot.
pps It's probably not journalistically sound to quote from facial expressions. Reviews of BW almost universally stated that she was the REAL STAR of that show,that it was blatantly obvious, that she blew everyone else off the screen and that she was the only saving grace of a shoddy show. And I will contend that Katee's success here can be attributed to her acting talent, not just to her looks. A pretty face does not make someone a "REAL STAR"...or Michelle Ryan too would have won praise and adulation. Of course I've read the reviews...and I've never disupted them. But before you get your boxers into a bunch, the post where I speculated on Katee's post-BSG prospects was back well before BW aired, and it was not focused on Katee alone. It was a pragmatic look at the entertainment industry and what we might expect to see from the entire cast of BSG, from a statistical point of view. I didn't blow sunshine up anybody's ass or predict inevitable great things around the corner for anybody. Why? Because as much as we all might love our own favorites, the fact of the industry is that one hit show is already a greater degree of success than most actors will ever see. Two hit shows is exponentially rarer still. Even the casts of "Friends" and "Seinfeld" have failed to achieve it so far, and they are all MUCH bigger stars than anyone on BSG. Anything is possible for any of them, but by that same token we should also accept that their relative state of obscurity might not ever change. Almost everyone seems/seemed to want her on that show in a much bigger role or to take over the lead entirely. And yet, the exact opposite is what appears to be happening. There has to be a reason, and we agree that it isn't because of her performance in front of the cameras. So...? I think that if you surveyed your readers you'd find that an overwhelming majority found KS smoking hot. There are certainly some, and to those who fall into that category -- Enjoy! But I already know that the majority of people who I communicate with regularly have never seen her work, neither on BSG nor on BW, and they are completely indifferent to Katee one way or the other. I happen to be more of a fan of Katee than most people that I know. This is a mistake that I see many fans making, not just Katee's fans...that because they adore somebody, they assume that an "overwhelming majority" of other people feel the same. To this day though, I think the rabid Orlando fans still take the prize. pps It's probably not journalistically sound to quote from facial expressions. If I'd ever claimed to be a journalist, you might have a point. But then again, to ignore body language would be to ignore as much as 50% of a person's communication skills and that wouldn't be sound under any circumstances. Remember that the next time you're in a bad mood and you want yor boyfriend/husband to notice it without spelling it out for him. Edited at 2007-11-24 05:58 pm (UTC) |
On November 27th, 2007 06:58 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: My experience was completely different I was fortunate enough (or dumb enough to spend the money) to be a backstage VIP at the convention and I got to sit and talk to all four of them backstage. Maybe it’s because they weren’t “on” but they seemed a little more worried about the show not having a proper ending and sad about not working on BSG anymore. They all seem to be really good friends in real life so I would guess that it’s probably a lot like High School graduation. Here are my impressions: • Tamoh talked about the strike a lot and he 100% supports the writers but he said that a lot of people are out of work and many people in the entertainment industry (non-actors) are being fired. He seemed pretty somber when he talked about it; I think that the chance that he may never work on the BSG set again with all of his friends was setting in. He was really tired because he stayed up late the night before at the cast party then had a 5am flight to Burbank. He really loves the UFC and was dying to see it but he couldn’t get the PPV in his hotel room so he had to wait for his TiVo at home. He is such a sweet genuine person; he hugged me at least 4 times (once when I tried to give him beer that he ended up not taking) and just seemed like an all around “good guy” (just like Helo). • Jamie was a little more upbeat than Tamoh but he seemed a little sad as well (it’s to be expected). We really didn’t talk about BSG too much (we talked about the, just him & his family and poker. He jokes around quite a bit and made some funny comments. He said that Tamoh was “a silly boy” with his UFC and he joked with Katee when she came backstage. He really won me over especially since I was never a huge Apollo fan; I’m definitely a Jamie fan now! • Katee seemed the most down of all (although I think she was really hungry, she tried to sit and eat a bar of some kind and Erin told her she had to walk and eat it because she had to get ready for autographs). She was pretty quiet (compared to the others) and I just go the impression she was deep in thought. She has a great rapport with Jamie and those two joked around about how telling someone they look tired is like saying they look like crap. She was nice enough to go along with our idea of picking Jamie up for our photo op (and pulling her apart for hers) but she did seem more reserved than the others. On November 28th, 2007 12:45 am (UTC), (Anonymous) replied: Re: My experience was completely different Just curious...how do you get a VIP pass and what do you get (besides getting to be backstage)? Sounds like you had a great time! — On November 28th, 2007 01:25 am (UTC), (Anonymous) replied, “Re: My experience was completely different” · Expand — On November 28th, 2007 01:36 am (UTC), (Anonymous) replied, “Re: My experience was completely different” · Expand — On November 28th, 2007 06:15 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) replied, “Re: My experience was completely different” · Expand — On December 10th, 2007 11:41 pm (UTC), |
On November 29th, 2007 05:06 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Katee-Sackhoff-Quotno/800028518 Katee Sackhoff by Alan Zenuk/NBC Katee Sackhoff wants to set the record straight. "I have no plans to leave Bionic Woman, and Michelle Ryan" — who fills the title role — "is doing a great job. There's not one ounce of bad blood between us." Sackhoff, whose flamboyant turn as Sarah Corvus has overshadowed Ryan on the struggling NBC series, tells TV Guide that she absolutely did not diss either BW or its star at a recent convention. (News of the alleged cattiness came from a blogger who attended the sci-fi confab.) "It's sad," says Sackhoff, "because you want to connect with the fans, and then they throw it in your face in a negative light." It's an interesting statement for Katee to make on multiple levels, but not entirely surprising considering that NBC has not yet made an official decision about the disposition of the show. You also forgot to quote the part where she qualified her denial by saying if the producers chose not to use her anymore, that would be fine with her, because she'd love a chance to pursue other opportunities -- so if such a thing wasn't even being considered by anybody, why would Katee make a point of bringing it up as a palatable option? |
On December 15th, 2007 01:22 pm (UTC), (Anonymous) commented: Idetrorce very interesting, but I don't agree with you Idetrorce Re: Idetrorce Fair enough. Care to elaborate? I base my position on evidence and personal experience. What is your position based on? |