“Excuse me,”said our waiter in his thick Italian accent.  “May I ask you a question.”

“Sure,”said Anthony.

“You are an actor?”

“Yes.”

“You are Boone?!”

“Yes!”

“But after three seasons, it is finished already???”

Well, yes.  Long story but, in a nutshell, the decision makers at syfy were never fans of the show.

Still, I never tire of hearing from fans who have discovered the show for the first time.  Syfy may have dismissed us without a second thought, but Dark Matter fandom remains strong.  Thank you!

Today, I had lunch with actor Anthony Lemke who drove all the way into town to sit down with me and discuss the gene manipulation, transhumanism, and perils of future tech over schiacciatas, zabaglione lattes, and a double order of baccala.

Boy, he would be perfect for at least three of the projections I’m currently developing.

Finally, congratulations to Dark Matter’s Lynda McCormack for her Best Achievement in Makeup nomination (Episode 304, “All The Time In The World”) and  VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson and his team for their Best Visual Effects nomination (Episode 313, “Nowhere To Go”) at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.    Good luck!

Reports have begun to filter in of Dark Matter fans finally receiving surprises in the mail c/o Prodigy Pictures!

This was the request that went out last fall…

And, after sorting through well over 1 000 letters, the production office commenced deliveries.

So, what’d we get?

Cast-signed Blu-rays.

Signed Dark Matter crew sweatshirts.

Dark Matter props!

Dark Matter set dec!  In this case, one of the contraptions featured in Baines’ Workshop (Episode 302, “It Doesn’t Have To Be Like This”).

And there’s certainly more on the way so, if and when you receive something, post it!

Well, as expected, I have a first draft of that pilot script from the new SF series I’ve been developing.  And, yep, as expected, it clocks in at a robust 63 full pages.  And that just won’t do.  Tonight, I take a break.  Then, tomorrow, the revising begins!

Well, isn’t this nice?  The Dark Matter swag deliveries continue…

Apparel!

Props!

Varied treasures!

The latter assortment found its way to Tom Gardiner who tirelessly covers genre film & television for SciFiSingularity and ThreeIfBySpace, but is particularly noted for having been blacklisted by Syfy shortly after he had the audacity to criticize their cancellation of Dark Matter.

Hey, if you want a screener of Jeepers Creepers 3, you’re gonna have to play ball, baby!

Whoa!  Hang on!  Sorry.  I just received this official letter from the Galactic Authority.  If you’ve received any Raza-related merchandise, please redirect to the above address.  I thank you for your understanding.

Congratulations to Rebekah!  You’re the winner of the one-of-a-kind (for now) Suji t-shirt.  Please be sure to wear it to all special events, public ceremonies, and court appearances to help spread the word about the difficulties of bathing senior pugs.

Last year, following news of Dark Matter’s cancellation, we thought it would be nice to do something for all the fans that help make DM one of Syfy’s most-watched shows!  The original plan was to give you all a satisfying ending but, alas, Syfy never bothered getting back to us regarding our humble request for a movie so, interpreting that as a no, we struck the sets but set aside some of the costumes, props, and assorted other goodies.  Then, we asked you all to send in your letters telling us what the show meant to you.  Over the past couple of months, the gang in the production offices have been reading all the letters, selecting some of the memorable missives, and rewarding fans with mementos from Dark Matter’s short-lived three year run.

Last week, fans worldwide started receiving Dark Matter swag…

Truly, we have the best fans.

Continue to keep us posted, please!

Well, yesterday I delivered a first draft of that sci-fi pilot script I’ve been working on.  I expect I’ll receive notes sometime next week, turn a second draft around for the week following, then deliver to the network and, after that, it’ll be smoooooooth sailing.

Also next week, I have a sit-down with an executive presently entertaining two of my pitches – one a military SF series, the other an SF series in the vein of Dark Matter.  Hoping to get the band back together!

Speaking of which, today I had lunch with former Dark Matter Playback Operator Greg Whiteside.  Over the course of a burger, a meatball focaccia sandwich, some burrata, roasted hen of the woods mushrooms, and some baccala fritti, we discussed old times, petty politics, Panama, real estate ventures, and the importance of playback as a storytelling tool in science fiction.

Kicking off today’s blog entry with a link to a terrific article that appeared on Gateworld.net yesterday:

“How would you feel if a theater ushered you out of your seat with 30 minutes of the movie still left? Would you come back?”

Syfy Owes Fans A Bigger Commitment

“If a serialized show is on the bubble, give it one final (perhaps partial) season to finish the overarching story. If not, give it a three- to six-hour mini-series. And if you still can’t swing that, order a two-hour TV movie. Don’t wait until you reach the point of no return, when the plug is yanked out with no ceremony.”

Give it a read!

More Stargate concept art by James Robbins:

Tagrea

Tagrean dirigible.

Tagrean fighter.

Anubis mothership.

The Eye of Ra.

Alien diary (“Paradise Lost”).

But wait!  There’s more…

Eventually.  Just need to pick up a cable for this somewhat antiquated baby…

Alas, those seemingly inaccessible hard drives, once accessible, were a bust. Mostly whale footage and videos of Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok’s trip to Dominica.  On the bright side, I was reminded that there are a couple of other more promising hard drives in my storage locker.  Now it’s just a matter of finding them.  In the meantime, enjoy more Stargate BTS goodies.  Concept art by James Robbins.

ZPM

Prometheus

Trimordian boar.

“Paradise Lost”

The puddle jumper bay reveal animatic

James Bamford and co. ready for action

Hey, you know what I think we could all  use?  An all-new fourth Stargate series that pays tribute to the existing television franchise while setting out in a bold new direction, created by Brad Wright and Robert Cooper.  What do you think?

Where do you get your scifi fix?

Do you read?

Do you check out the latest big screen offerings (I’ve been hearing great things about Annihilation)?

Possibly tune in to traditional broadcast homes like FOX (The X-Files, The Gifted, The Orville) and CW (The 100, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Black Lightning)?

Perhaps go the cable route with channels like AMC (The Walking Dead, Into the Badlands, Humans), BBC America (Class, Dirk Gently, Dr. Who) or even Freeform (Cloak & Dagger, New Warriors, Misfits)?

Maybe peruse streamers like Netflix (Black Mirror, Dark Matter, Sense 8, Stranger Things, Travelers), Amazon (The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams), and Hulu (The Handmaid’s Tale, Dimension 404, Runaways)?

Well, MGM seemingly has plans to give you one more choice.  With the launch of their streaming platform, Stargatecommand, the studio has sought to give longtime fans a one-stop shop for all their Stargate needs.  But, as evidenced by their reaching out to me on the heels of Dark Matter’s cancellation, their long-term plans extend beyond Stargate to other scifi offerings.  If all goes well, in three years down the line, we could not only have new Stargate on the platform, but several new scifi shows as well.  Perhaps even a Dark Matter miniseries.

Imagine having a broadcast/streaming home dedicated to scifi?  Unheard of, but believe me, it’s closer than you think.

And this is why I’m asking not only Stargate fans, but Dark Matter fans and fans of science fiction in general, to join our campaign.  Getting Stargate back will only be a first step.  A big one, admittedly, but one we’re closer to taking now than at any time in the franchise’s history.

Starting today, we have exactly two weeks to marshal our forces, explain the game plan to our army of gaters and allies and, ultimately, convince MGM that it’s time to launch that fourth Brad Wright/Robert Cooper Stargate series.  And, over the course of the next few blog entries, I’m going to break down exactly how we’re going to do that.

Head on over to twitter and follow @StargateNow for all the latest campaign updates AND a plethora of Stargate-related goodies including, most recently:

And a selection of gifs (featured in today’s blog entry).

You have a chance to a part of something HUGE.  Don’t miss out!

With the release of Stargate: Origins on the Stargate Command platform, MGM has taken the first steps towards exploring fan interest in further Stargate adventures.  However, as the first couple of SG:O episodes rolled out, I wondered if there was another way to gauge fan support for a potential new series.  There are many, MANY international fans who aren’t able to access Stargate Command to show their love.  There are also a lot of North American fans who may not be able to afford a subscription or are simply wary of shelling out this early in the process. I get it.  And, for these reasons, I looked for an alternate means of letting MGM know how much support Stargate still enjoys, not only in North America but internationally as well, not simply among paid subscribers but possible viewers who, for whatever reasons, cannot or choose not to subscribe at the moment. Some way to bring together Stargate fans scattered across the globe and throughout the internet in a focused campaign that gives them a unified voice on a dedicated platform at an appointed time.

A unified voice speaks loudest of all while a dedicated platform and time allows fandom to make the most noise in a concentrated and quantifiable burst.  Social media has become a crucial component of a show’s success, offering studios accessible and immediate statistics on fan engagement.  Letter writing campaigns are a thing of the past.  Today’s fan campaigns are fought online.  NBC’s Timeless is a good, recent example of online fandom making noise and getting results for their favorite show.  Perhaps the greatest precedent though is what was achieved by fans of Longmire who took to twitter, made plenty of NOISE, got noticed, and secured an additional three seasons of their favorite show.  Longmire fans were smart, disciplined, and spoke in a unified voice on a dedicated platform at dedicated times.  We are going to take a page from their successful campaign (Thanks, Longmire fans, for showing us how it’s done). 

Two weeks from now, we will gather on twitter at an appointed time, tag MGM, and get Stargate trending.  Big-time.  We’ll have two major events – one for North American fans, another for international fans.  We’re splitting them up in order to maximize participation and ensure we get the largest turnout for both.  All you have to do is show up on twitter at the appointed time, on the appointed day, and interact with us for an hour or so.  Tell us what Stargate means to you, maybe what you’d like to see in a new Brad Wright/Robert Cooper series.  Share your favorite characters, episodes, moments.  @StargateNow, the official voice for the #DriveToRevive, will be posting concept art from all three shows: SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.  I’ll be offering up behind the scene photos and videos from my time on the franchise.  And who knows what familiar faces may be dropping by to say hi.  It’ll be little effort but a whole lot of fun.

If this all sounds familiar – yes, it’s very similar to the campaign we waged in support of Dark Matter.  Alas, while the tweetstorms in support of DM were statistically huge (I still have people in the industry remark on our impressive showing), they, unfortunately, failed to convince Syfy.  But there’s a key difference between that campaign and the one we’re about to launch: MGM really does care.

They care about their shows and the people who produce them.

They care about science fiction.

And, most importantly, they care about their fans.

MGM WANTS to give you a new Stargate series.  They WANT Stargate to succeed. They just need to know you’re out there and willing to support them when the time comes.

Let’s do this!

P.S. Thanks to @Thogar and co. for the gifs!

Stargate was a fantastic 12-year experience for me.  I learned a lot from showrunners Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, the cast, the crew, and fandom. Among the greatest takeaways from my time on the show is this oft-repeated (by me) nugget: “Fans tune in for the hook, but they stay for the characters”.  To that, I would add the importance of family, something that is at the core of all three Stargates.  On SG-1, it’s team SG-1.  On Atlantis, it’s the Atlantis Expedition. And on Universe, it’s the crew of the Destiny.  They may be very different personalities, have totally different outlooks, and disagree at times, but despite all the challenges they face, they are family – to each other and to fans around the world.  Looking back, it was no coincidence that one of the final scenes I wrote for Stargate was the farewell dinner scene for Stargate: Universe in which Eli toasts his fellow crew while likening them to family members (Rush, of course, drawing comparisons to “the crazy uncle”).  It was also no coincidence that this very concept was at the heart of my show, Dark Matter.  The crew of The Raza are family.  Like SG-1 and the Atlantis Expedition and the Destiny crew, they alway find a way to come together and have each other’s backs.

This sense of family was ever-present behind-the-scenes on all four productions. And obvious in the support and love these show continue to receive from their many fans.  So when we rallied to fight for Dark Matter following its cancellation by Syfy, that sense of family was evident throughout the campaign with hashtags like #WeCarryEachOther and #DarkMatterFamily.  Stargate fans came out to support Dark Matter fans and I’m heartened to see Dark Matter fans now joining this campaign to support Stargate fans.  [I’m also seeing a lot of Dark Matter fans checking out Stargate for the first time and vice-versa which makes me very happy.  If you’ve yet to cross-sample, might I suggest Dark Matter fans check out Stargate: SG-1 Season 4, Episode 6 “Window of Opportunity” and Stargate fans check out Dark Matter Season 3, Episode 4 “All The Time In The World”.  You’ll love the parallels.].

Stargate fans, Dark Matter fans, hell, scifi fans in general are family.  We know the difference between a goa’uld and a tok’ra, a ha’tak and a mothership, O’Neill with two L’s as opposed to one.  We know that TWO is Portia is Rebecca, and SIX is Griffin Jones is Kal Varrick, and THREE named his big gun Bubba and his sidearms Lulu and Pip but didn’t name his knife because what do you think he is, psycho? We know to Keep Looking Up, that Crackers Don’t Matter, and that Han Shot First. We have each others backs. #WeCarryEachOther

And we’re about to send one helluva message.

Trust me, we are closer to a fourth in-canon Stargate series than ever before!

Tomorrow, finally, I’ll give you the details of how we’re going to pull this off – exactly what we’re going to do and when.

In the meantime, if you haven’t already done so, head on over to twitter and follow @StargateNow and yours truly.  If you’re not yet on twitter, fear not.  It’s easy. Just go to the twitter home page, sign up, then come back here and click on the above links to be taken to the aforementioned accounts.  Click the “follow”  button and you’ll be automatically dialed in and updated on the latest developments on the campaign front along with Stargate-related pics, gifs, vids, commentaries, and more than a few surprises.

In less than two weeks, we’ll be blowing up the internet with a good old-fashioned tweet-storm.  Actually, two.

Friday, March 9th at 6:00 p.m. PST/9:00 p.m. EST – for North American fans

Saturday, March 10th at 7:00 p.m. GMT – for International fans.

[note: corrected times]

Of course (and preferably), you can show up for both events – but I don’t want to impose.

All we need is an hour of your time…but if you want to stick around and make a night of it, let’s do it!

When we orchestrated our last tweet-fest in support of Dark Matter, the turnout was pretty insane.  Here are the stats from that September 15th event:

Them’s huge numbers – and we did that with a core group of some 7000 Dark Matter fans following the @DarkMatterFTL account.  Today, with 11 days to go, the @StargateNow campaign account already has 8 000 followers.

I have no doubt we will be making one hell of an impression.

We’ll be following the lead of the Dark Matter campaign which followed the lead of the Longmire campaign which followed the lead of the Fringe campaign that demonstrated the power of fandom by channeling their voices on a dedicated platform (twitter) for an appointed time (see above).

A few rules that will help maximize our message:

#1: FOLLOW – Make sure you’re following @StargateNow

#2: CHECK IN – Approximately 15 minutes before the appointed time, @StargateNow will be revealing that night’s unique hashtag.  This hashtag should appear in all of your tweets.  In the case of Dark Matter, for instance, one of the hashtag we used was #RockTheRaza.

#3: BE PROMPT – Start tweeting at the appointed time, but not before as it diminishes our efforts at trending.

#4: USE THE DEDICATED HASHTAG – Make sure your tweet includes that night’s dedicated hashtag.

#5: ONLY USE THAT ONE HASHTAG – For some reason, tweets with more than one hashtag don’t count toward trending so be sure to only use the hashtag of the night.

Okay, got it?

Annnnnd break!

I’m off to start going through my hard drives for those behind-the-scene set pics!

As always, thanks to Tom Gardiner (@Thogar) for all the fantastic gifs.

I take my leave of you now, fandom.  Until tomorrow…

Well, last night’s #TestTheDrive campaign went very well.  Here’s how we did in that hour…

Trendsmap

Almost 35k tweets in an hour.  Fantastic.  I think we can work on those replies, making more of an effort to engage with our fellow tweeters, but overall this is amazing for a dry run.  Almost everyone was fantastic at following the one hashtag rule with only about 1% of participants tweeting out more than one.

We got a big boost from some influencers lead by Stargate’s Michael Shanks, and Dark Matter’s Zoie Palmer and Alex Mallari Jr.  Majorie Liu, Rachel Caine, Peter Williams, Simone Bailly, Jeff Teravainen, Corin Nemec, Mika McKinnon,  Patrick Gilmore, Mike Dopud, and David Nykl were instrumental were a big part of yesterday’s tweet storm that saw us trending in both the U.S. and Canada.  As were you all, especially these three, our top tweeters…

Wow!  In fact, we continued trending in Canada into the week hours of this morning.  Congrats and thanks to all, and in particular the @StargateNow and @StargateNow_EU teams.   If you missed it, here’s an interview with two of our frontline stars, Kelli Zielinski and Tom Gardiner –

Meet Two Fans Behind the StargateNow Movement

Alright!  Now that we’ve sufficiently recharged, let’s get ready to do it all over again with our international fans in less than an hour!

A rules refresher…

Make sure you’re following @StargateNow and @Stargate_EU as they’ll be releasing the secret hashtag 15 minutes before the tweet-storm.

See you there!

Well, well, well.  If it isn’t Dark Matter‘s Teku Fonsei, actor Andrew Moodie, incognito.

Well, actually, it IS.  And he’s pretty cognito.  The beard is for a play he’s doing.  The crispy pig ear he’s holding?  Not part of the performance art.

Anyway, I was having lunch with Andrew today and thought – I bet Dark Matter fans would love to quiz him about his time on the show, before and beyond.  So, if you’ve got questions for Andrew, please post them in this blog’s comments section.  I’ll gather them up and send them his way this weekend.

Uh, guys.  I think I may be dating a character from Futurama.

Still awaiting word from MGM on The Stargate Initiative.  Adam Barnard offers up a neat summation of the recent #DriveToRevive campaign above.

Meanwhile, there was this tweet response from the official Stargate Command twitter:

I say again.  Hmmmmmmm.

One of the many highlights of working on Dark Matter was the opportunity I got to collaborate with some truly gifted individuals, both in front and behind the camera.  Actor Andrew Moodie, who played the role of Teku Fonsei, is one example. He’s not only talented, poised, and professional, but one of the nicest guys you’ll ever have the pleasure to sit down with over a lunch of grilled octopus and crispy pig’s ears.

When last we met, I asked Andrew if he’d be interested in doing a fan Q&A.  He happily obliged and, today, I turn this blog over to him.  Thanks, Andrew!

Iggy Ming writes: “For Andrew Moodie: No questions, just wanted to say that I worked at the Grace Hospital about 25 years ago and knew your Mom, Marjorie. She was the loveliest lady, and I remember her talking about you with pride. I hope she is doing well and is still tending to her garden. I was only there for about 3 years and doubt that she would remember me. Loved your role on DM. I will keep an eye out for any upcoming shows that you might be in.”

Andrew: Iggy! It’s amazing that  you worked with my Mom. I will get your information from Joe and we can say hi the next time I’m in Ottawa. I’m very proud of my Mom. Both my sister and I have our work ethic from her. Next time I chat with her I’ll say hi from you. And thanks for the kind words about her garden. It’s very impressive. Unfortunately I have a really bad pollen allergy so it’s actually torture for me when the garden is in full bloom. Ah well. I am in a feature film that should be coming out this summer. But nothing as good as Dark Matter. And I’m not just saying that to make Joe feel good. It really was such a great experience.

Shinyhula writes: “Questions for Andrew Moodie, what’s your favorite meals in Vancouver, after pigs ears of course. What has been your favorite stage role so far? What is your favorite store in Vancouver that you can spend all day in (that isn’t Ikea)? Did you keep any of Teku’s cool wardrobe?”

Andrew: Shinyhula, you are a Vancouverite I take it. I really miss Vancouver. I lived there many decades ago back in the early nineties. And all the places I loved to eat are long gone. There was a Goth Burger joint on Granville street I used to go to. I would listen to the Cure on my Walkman and write poetry about death. Good times. I have very fond memories of working at a restaurant with my friend Pat Garland. I won’t tell you the name of the restaurant, but it was owned by some guys who won the lottery, left their jobs and opened up a restaurant. They also quickly developed a habit for hard drugs unfortunately. We never knew if we were going to get paid from one day to the next. One day, my friend Pat was fed up, and went into the fridge, took out the ingredients he had found and he made a white chocolate blueberry ice cream for everyone who worked in the kitchen. It was AMAZING. One of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my LIFE. I still talk about it to this very day. If you ever get to Ottawa, you HAVE to go to his restaurant, it’s called Absinthe.

Most recently, I’m a big fan of La Mezcaleria. I hope it’s still there. Best Mexican breakfast EVER. 

I don’t spend that much time in stores generally, but I still love walking around Granville Island. Seeing shows at the Arts Club. Go see a show there if you can! Some of the finest work in Canada.

And there was a beautiful Kimono that Teku wore in one of the early episodes. Such incredible craftsmanship.  Hmmm, maybe I should ask Joseph what happened to it?

DARK MATTER — “Welcome To The Revolution” Episode 303 — Pictured: Andrew Moodie as Teku Fonsei — (Photo by: Stephen Scott/Dark Matter Series 3/Syfy)

TheOtherOne writes: “Hi Andrew.  I really loved your character Teku Fonsei in Dark Matter. You/Teku had a very calming, higher being, presence throughout the ‘shenanigans’ in Season 3. Do you do yoga or any martial arts? Was Dark Matter your first sci-fi project? If it was, how did you find it?  I’ve read you’ve had much acclaim playing Shakespeare (amongst many other things!), which is your favourite Shakespeare play and why? Have you ever visited Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire or The Globe in London? And finally, what do you prefer doing

– acting theatre, TV, film or radio

– playwriting or writing books

(gosh, that’s truly an amazing repertoire!)

Thank you for taking time to answer our questions. I was so looking forward to seeing more of you in Dark Matter.

I will keep my eyes open for any of your projects and really honestly hope one day I can see you perform Shakespeare or one of your plays in my home town in London”

Andrew: Thanks TheOtherOne for the kind words. I really REALLY loved working on the show. I wish I knew Martial Arts. It’s on my bucket list. And as a theater actor, there are many yoga exercises I use to prepare for the stage. And for Teku there were a few exercises that I used to get into character. I won’t tell you which ones, that’s my little secret

Dark Matter wasn’t my first Sci fi show, but it was the best experience. It was his skill as a writer and his passion that made the show my favourite experience. 

I have been in many Shakespeare productions but my favourite is Macbeth. It’s his tightest, most powerful tragedy with one of the greatest twist endings in theatre history. I have been in Othello twice, and I’m looking forward to my next performance in Othello, whenever that might be. But one day, ONE DAY, I would LOVE to play Iago. He’s ambitious, envious, vengeful. I really understand that character in ways that I really shouldn’t admit to anyone.

And yes I have been to Stratford on Avon but  to watch my sister perform actually. Her name is Tanya Moodie and she’s worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company playing Gertrude in Hamlet, she was nominated for her work in Fences, she was in Sherlock, she was in Prime Suspect, and she’s going to be in a show in the West End soon called Rasheeda Speaking. See her if you can. I am a little biased, but it’s going to be a really great show.

And to answer your last question, I LOVE IT ALL. I love everything about this business. It’s such a blessing to be a working artist. And I’m trying to get one of my plays to London. Trust me. If I can make it happen, I will see you opening night!

Paula Zimmerman writes: “Andrew, do you think Teku’s ship would have joined with the Raza and they’d travel together? Would you be on the next Stargate team? Also, I am impressed with your work in a couple of shows, and hope to see you in more!”

Andrew: Oh I know exactly what Teku would have done in the next episode Paula. But I can’t tell you.  If I did, Joseph would send Ryo after me. And that wouldn’t end well. For him. Thanks for the kind words and who knows what the future holds…

cudaker writes: “Teku Fonsei whats your favorite character you like or would like to act? (Good bad comic tech engy spy FBI ….? anything you can think of )”

Andrew: Oh I have no favourite character that I want to act. But as I said earlier, I would love to play Iago in Othello. And there are other Shakespearean characters I would love to play. Like Coriolanus or Malvolio. And, of course, when I was a young boy, I always thought that I could play Lando Calrisian if there were any films based on Han Solo, but apparently that role has been given to someone else. Hmmmph. Other than that, I love being challenged to do something I’ve never done before. I prefer to be surprised. And hopefully a little scared!

MaggieL80 writes: “Questions for Andrew if not too late:  What direction would you have liked to see your character go? What about his relationship with Ryo?  Did you get to keep any props? If so, what? If no, what would have liked to have had?”

Andrew: MaggieL80 I didn’t get any props, and I WISH I had! I would have taken one of the blink drive cards. Totally. I loved the direction the character was taking already. And I would have loved to see what Joseph had in store for the rest of the series. Who knows. Maybe we’ll get a second chance…

AdamS writes: “Hi Andrew.  I’d like to know how did you land the role of Teku Fonsei on Dark Matter?  What was the audition process like and what did you think of the character?  Were you familiar with Dark Matter before you got the audition?”

Andrew: Well AdamS I was very lucky to get asked to audition for Teku. I knew about the series and I really really liked it. I knew one of the actors in the show, and I really loved the characters and the pace, and the world that was created. Even though I love theatre, and drama, I am also a science fiction fan. Harry Harrison is my favourite sci fi writer, and as a kid I dreamed of staring in a Stainless Steel Rat feature film. Who knows, maybe some great show creator and show runner could make it into a series. Ahem, ahem.

FortunateSon writes: “Out of curiosity, what kind of career path did you set out for yourself before deciding to become an actor?  And at what age did you decide to make acting your career?  What kind of training did you do or are you a natural?

Andrew: I always wanted to be an actor.  Never wanted to be anything else. Actually that’s not true. I grew up in the 70’s and when I was a kid, watching Pierre Trudeau, he made being Prime Minister look like fun. So there was a time as a child when I thought I wanted to get into politics, but I had a very sobering thought as a child. I realized that actors don’t get voted out of office. It’s the fortunate politician who gets to retire. Actors don’t have to retire. We can keep going literally until we drop dead. And some actors have. And I applied to the National Theatre School in Montreal, but unfortunately they didn’t accept me. I applied again, but I soon had a professional gig, so I became a working actor very young. But I wish I had the opportunity to study, and I am jealous of those who get the chance to do so.  

Ricardaneel writes: “If you could have played any other role on Dark Matter, who would it have been and why?”

Andrew: Oh, I LOVE the role I have on Dark Matter, so I wouldn’t change it for the world. But I my first audition for Dark Matter was for a Mysterious Man who takes Android apart in episode 304. I could not be happier that I didn’t get that role and that I got Teku. He was a gift.

4Star4 writes: “Hi Andrew.  How do you see your career progressing in the next few years.  Where do you want to end up?  Where do you see yourself?”

Andrew: So… here’s the thing. The reason why I became an actor is that I love having no idea at all what’s going to happen to me in the future. All I want is to work with really interesting people on really interesting works. And hopefully be a good father and husband. That’s it, that’s all. Sometimes, in life, when you grasp at things, they slip through your fingers. When you open your hand, something will come to rest in your palm. I should have told that to Ryo. Crap.

LancasterAlan writes: “Hey Andrew, since you’ve done both stage acting and television performance, I was wondering if you could tell me the major differences between the two.  The pros and cons of each.  And which you prefer.  Thanks.”

Andrew: Film is like a mountain, theatre is like the sky. Film lasts for a long long time. And it never changes. A theatre performance is different every night. I love both for their unique natures.

Basilisk7 writes: “Andrew, did you always know, or have a feeling, who was going to be revealed as the traitor in Ryo’s court?  Was there a time that you suspected Teku could have been the traitor?   How did you enjoy your time on the Dark Matter set?  Where there any particular moments you can think of that really stood out for you?  Did Joe give you any hints into what he had planned for Teku?”

Andrew: Joe was the most generous writer I have ever experienced and shared so much with me about the character and his history, and his relationship with Ryo. But I’ll be honest with you, I kinda suspected. I do  LOT of preparation for any role that I perform in, and in my preparation, a few things seem to come together.

Loved my time on set. The crew was so generous. I loved shooting on those sets. The court scenes with Ryo were great. The only thing that drove me nuts was all the great food that was served ALL DAY LONG! It is a special torture that actors experience when they have to fit in a slim, form fitting costume, and all they can eat are carrots and apple slices all day! I know, sucks to be me. 

Thanks for all the questions. It was really fun answering them, and please keep the dream alive. Dark Matter was the kind of science fiction that I loved reading when I was a kid. The kind of stories that ask real questions about life, about consciousness, and what it means to be human.

I experienced a range of emotions upon hearing of Dark Matter’s surprising cancellation: disbelief, anger, sadness, and a lot of frustration at the thought of leaving this story incomplete.  As most of you know, I went in with a game plan from Day 1, a thorough narrative blueprint encompassing every story and character arc over the show’s outlined five season run.  Of course, I know fans were equally frustrated given the fact that the show ended on the promise of aliens and androids and their disappointment compounded my own.  Over the course of the eight or so months since syfy dropped the ball (and us), I’ve been keeping busy with various development projects.  I’ve written scripts and overview and takes and, while enjoyable and creatively fulfilling to a certain extent, the process made me miss my show and my characters all the more.  And then, yesterday, while perusing the Dark Matter subreddit, I happen across a thread titled Season 4 Premises.  On a whim, I clicked replied with an overview of what I had planned for the first act of the first episode of season 4.  It was incredibly cathartic.  So, I headed over to twitter, and announced that I would do the same there, in more detailed fashion, offering up a breakdown of Dark Matter Season 4 Episode 401, Act 1.

In truth, it was really just a therapeutic exercise, but the fan response was overwhelming.  And so, I’ve decided to follow up with Act 2 tonight – and Acts 3, 4, and 5 over the next few nights – to give fans a glimpse at what might have been. And, also, to finally get this story off my chest.

Depending on how things go, who knows?  Maybe I’ll do the same for Episode 4.02.  And beyond.  It won’t be season 4 and 5 on the small screen but, hopefully, at the very least, it will offer fans some satisfaction and, most importantly, a degree of closure.

So, what did you miss last night?  Here’s the rundown of Dark Matter Season 4 Episode 4.01, Act 1…

What do you think?  Leave me a comment in the comments section.

Our story continues…

Our story continues…

Our story continues!

Tomorrow = the conclusion to our Virtual Season 4 Premiere!

Our virtual season premiere concludes…

And there you have it.  Everything I had planned for Dark Matter’s fourth season premiere.  It would have been a blast.

Well, I feel much better having gotten that off my chest.  Of course, it’s just 1 of the 26 episodes I had burning a hole in the back of my mind since the show’s cancellation.  Still, it was a most satisfying exercise and, who knows, should I ever again have the urge, the motivation, and the fan support, I may well offer up a second installment of Dark Matter’s Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.02 – somewhere down the line.

Thoughts?

First off, thanks to all those who weighed in with the kind words regarding our virtual Dark Matter season 4 premiere episode.  As I said, more than anything it was, for me, an exercise that allowed me to put the story (a story I’ve been sitting on for longer than you can probably imagine) out there.  Time and interest permitting, I’ll get around to Episode 4.02 in the not-too-distant future, a heist episode that reveals, among other things: an unlikely alliance, the fate of SIX and Tash, and the future of both Wexler and Ryo Ishida moving forward.

A great day today, highlighted by what was probably one of my best pitch meetings ever.  Of course, only time will tell if one of my ideas gets the nod (I’m holding out hope for either the sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, the other sci-fi pitch, or the horror pitch), but I’m feeling good about the chances and look forward to the possibility of collaborating with some terrific heavy-hitters.

A question from the comments section –

Liam asks: “Quick question on something unrelated.  I’ve recently discovered that there is a stargate universe comic, called “back to destiny”, which continues the SGU story after the end of season 2. Did you have any input in this at all? Is it what you would have done in season 3, had it been picked up?”

Answer: I had absolutely no input into the comic book and haven’t a clue what direction they took the story.  If you’re curious, here are a couple of ways we could have gone given the chance –

Stargate: Universe Beyond Season 2 – What Might Have Been

At one point, Paul and I were in talks to adapt the Stargate: Extinction script to the comic book format (the feature that would have seen Atlantis make its return to Pegasus), but we never got the chance to tell that particular tale.

FirstName writes: “For the future story, maybe consider a novel (not graphic novel). I would buy that for the greater depth it would provide. Is that a possibility?”

Answer: Sadly, not possible.  The time and effort required of me to write novels covering the show’s final two seasons ensure this’ll never happen.

David Walters writes: “Now after Dark Matter and The Expanse, maybe people will finally realize we need a Sci-Fi channel, not the SYFY channel?”

Answer: The Top 10 Sci-Fi Broadcast/Streaming Homes

Meanwhile – Oh, hey, a buddy of mine just got his top secret show picked up!  Congrats, my friend!  Shhhhhhhhh.

A well-earned congratulations to the cast, crew and fandom of The Expanse.  Your pluck and perseverance paid off in the form of a fourth season pick-up courtesy of sci-fi fan Jeff Bezos at Amazon.  Enjoy the ride!

On the heels of the announcement, many Dark Matter fans are wondering why Amazon doesn’t pick up a fourth season of their favorite show too.  Well, while it’s technically possible, the odds are stacked against us for the following reasons…

1 – Unlike The Expanse, Dark Matter was never considered a marquee show and, as such, never received the warm critical reception or celebrity endorsements that really bring attention to a show…and any post-cancellation campaign.  We were, admittedly, a budget-challenged production (delivering at roughly less than one-third the production budget of Syfy’s big sci-fi originals), but made up for it in heart and humor.  It’s one of the big reasons why, while our fans loved us, we remained off the mainstream radar.

2 – From what I understand, Amazon had the second window streaming rights to The Expanse.  By green lighting a fourth season, they will essentially be expanding their existing library.  In the case of Dark Matter, however, the scenario was slightly more complicated as it was Netflix that owned those second window streaming rights worldwide.  In a best case scenario, they would have picked us up.  When they didn’t, we faced an uphill challenge attempting to sell the show to another streaming platform (ie. Amazon) given that they would be picking up a fourth season without the streaming rights to the first three.

3 – Timing is everything, especially when it comes to standing sets.  Unlike The Expanse, Dark Matter’s sets were struck months ago.  A green light would require us to rebuild.  Not impossible given the fact we have all of the plans filed away, but extra costs would be incurred.

4 – Finally, there’s the issue of cast availability.  Since the cancellation, the former cast members have been very busy and, even in the miraculous event we were to get a fourth season pick-up, there’s no guarantee we could get everyone back – and I couldn’t imagine continuing the adventure without the whole family onboard.

Having said all that, I’m not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet.  I firmly believe that so long as the fanbase is out there clamoring for more, there will always be hope.  In my mind, the best case scenario would be a page out of the Farscape playbook.  That show’s trajectory was very similar to Dark Matter‘s – cancelled by Syfy on a cliffhanger at the top of its game – yet its fandom never gave up.  Farscape fans hung in there, remained loyal and loud, and they were eventually rewarded with a mini-series, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.

The odds are admittedly stacked against us, but we’ve faced even longer and won. Like that time we first faced off against Ferrous Corp on that mining planet.  Or that time Wendy the robot tried to fly us into a sun?  Or that time we were captured by the Galactic Authority and locked up in the Hyperion-8 Maximum Security Galactic Detention Facility?  Or that time we were caught in the destruction of EOS-7?  Or that time TWO was infected by an alien, THREE was whisked away by Alt. Portia, the Android was taken off-line, SIX seemingly sacrificed himself, and FIVE was left in command of The Raza in the company of two unlikely allies: Ryo Ishida and Wexler?

All we need is faith, focus, determination…and an online campaign dedicated to targeting Jeff Bezos and Amazon.