If you're lucky enough to have a hit TV series, odds are you'll get fan support.
We have a phenomenal legion of fans behind us.
They can be found worldwide and their numbers keep growing.
Yeah. They're also very dedicated, with numerous conventions,...
...a slew of Stargate SG-1 web sites, many paying tribute to you, my friend.
Which I believe is the most...
- Maybe not. - Sure.
Needless to say that without them there might not be a Stargate SG-1.
So it would be only fair to explore the world of Stargate SG-1...
...through the eyes of our fans or, as they call themselves, "Gaters".
I wanna say about one thing,...
...when Jonathan and I first sold this show to Showtime with MGM,...
...we went to dinner to celebrate and we said...
..."We won't know if we're successful until we have maybe a big convention."
(cheering andscreaming)
- (woman in crowd) We love you, Amanda! - Oh! Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Our fans are so generous. Some things people have come up to me and said...
One woman came up to me at a convention and I'll never forget it.
I was signing autographs and she came up, looked at me and burst into tears,...
...and she said "You make me a better person."
And I went "Whoa."
And she meant it from her heart.
And I was like "I don't know how I've done that, but wow."
I'm having a fantastic time. Christopher Judge was amazing. He was so funny.
And all the actors are so personable. They're amazing.
You have these personalities on TV. Who knows what they're gonna be in real life?
And I think they're even more dynamic in person than on TV. They're fantastic.
- How's everyone doin'? - (cheering)
And just the people and how nice they were...
...and the distances they travelled to get there...
...was actually really overwhelming. It was a great experience.
Over the next two days we will have members of the Jaffa,...
...the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra.
I enjoy meeting the fans of the show and, to tell you the honest truth,...
And, believe me, people watch them all.
- My favourite episode? "Upgrades". - "Cold Lazarus".
- "A Hundred Days". - "Need".
- "The Fifth Race" is very good. "1969". - "Singularity".
The convention was an eye-opener.
You walk into this convention and you see these people who are fanatical fans...
...to the point where they create the wardrobe and show up.
And they just know everything about the show and they are true, true fans.
It's pretty amazing.
That was great. It was fun. It's a great crowd, a great group.
We're overwhelmed by the response. We didn't expect it to be this big.
I had a wonderful time. You get a chance to meet the fans and it's amazing.
Because they're sci-fi buffs, they're generally extremely bright people.
As warm and as wonderful and as odd... (laughs)
...as anyone you encounter!
As a matter offact, half a dozen of the people who were in Australia...
...flew to the one in Vancouver. I found it fascinating.
Stargate is huge in Germany. Stargate ist klasse in Deutsch.
I remember we were talking about the fans of the show...
...and he said "You know some people actually think the Stargate is real?"
And I thought "OK, maybe there is an interesting story there...
...about the world of conspiracy theories...
...and people who think that there are aliens among us."
A top-secret government programme...
...involving instantaneous travel to other solar systems...
...by means of a device known as a Stargate.
Sounds like a good idea for a TVshow, if you're into that sort of thing.
Colonel, let's not play games. If it isn't true, why would you come all this way?
OK. The truth.
There is a top-secret government programme called Project Stargate.
- I knew it! - It has nothing to do with space travel.
What does it have to do with?
Magnets.
- What is that supposed to mean? - No. I've already said too much.
When our show goes on the air, within three hours...
...there are 100, 200, 300 posts all posing their opinions, all finding the holes,...
...all saying they got this wrong or the science was right in this, or wrong.
In the episode "Tangent",...
...where we had done one shot where their ship crossed the sun...
...and briefly occluded it and then went away.
It was just a simple, elegant visual-effect shot.
That garnered about 500 posts saying "If the ship was leaving the sun's orbit,...
...then how could it possibly have crossed the path at 90*?" I just smiled at that.
What I smiled at more was yet another fan posting an animated diagram...
...showing exactly the orbital path the ship could have taken to have passed Jupiter...
...and crossed in front of the sun, allowing the camera to be in this position.
It just blew my mind.
I think people really care about these core people. I really do.
At least that's what I get from the fan mail...
...or from being out there and talking to the fans.
It is a sci-fi show. They love that part of it.
They love the action cos that's what the show is about.
But you can't take away from the fact you have great characters...
...and they care about these people.
We are so lucky to have this fan base. We really are. They're terrific. They're fun!
- Thank you very much, everyone. - Yeah. Thanks, everybody.
Beyond the fantasy of science fiction is a glimmer of reality in Stargate's universe.
The possibility of infinite worlds is shared by all mankind...
...and the source of study for many sciences.
The study of past civilisations was the basis for the series itself,...
...and certainly the urge for discovery is the heart of each story.
We're concerned with incorporating reality wherever possible.
And, because of our strong fan support, if we miss something, they'll call us on it.
So we often turn to technical consultants for a little help.
- Colonel. - General.
- Major. - General.
- Doctor. - General.
We gave them not only access to the Cheyenne Mountain complex to shoot it,...
...but gave them background stories of all the characters,...
...right down to what ribbons they'd wear on their uniforms.
We gave them the uniform regulations and hair advice,...
...plot lines and appropriate military relationships - that kind of stuff.
We gave them all that information, and we read every script...
...to make sure everything is done the way it would really be done in the Air Force.
Well, with all due respect, Doctor, I...
It is appropriate to refer to a person by rank, not their salutation.
You should call me Captain, not Doctor.
Captain Carter's assignment to this unit is not an option, it's an order.
I'm an Air Force officer,just like you.
The Air Force chief of staff, General Michael Ryan, met with Hank Cohen,...
...the president of MGM Television.
They hit it off and Hank Cohen invited him up to see the Stargate set...
...and decided it would be a great idea that, as long as he's going,...
...why doesn't he write him into the scene?
Have you met General Ryan?
Hello, Colonel.
- The General Ryan? Chief of staff? - That's right.
Shouldn't there have been a memo or something?
We had him do a little cameo and I got to talkin' to him afterwards,...
...or during the shooting,...
...tryin' to, you know, relax him a little bit. Very tense guy.
And I took him aside at one point and said "Do you have colonels like this?"
"Are there guys like what I'm doing with the character in the actual Air Force?"
Before I could even finish the sentence he said "Yes. And worse."
And I went "Great. OK." He said "You're doin' a fine job, son."
I've read a lot about you, Colonel, in General Hammond's reports.
Yes, sir?
Thus far we like your work.
Thank you, sir. I like yours.
Your Air Force. The Air Force. I love the Air Force.
To see someone of that stature and to deal with them, I was so nervous...
...that he was totally settled down by the time we gotto him...
...because it took nine takes for me to get three words out.
Anything else, Colonel?
- No, sir. - Then you're dismissed.
Thank you, sir.
Sirs. Sir. Both of you.
Got your hands full with that one, eh, George?
This cast has the most professional actors. They really wanna get it right.
They take a lot of pride in getting everything right,...
...from the appropriate salute to wearing the uniforms correctly.
They ask us what would we do in this situation, how would we play it.
Not just what's on the script, but how would we make that come alive.
Cadet, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Answer honestly.
Yes, ma'am.
- Who the hell do you think you are? - Ma'am?
D'you think you're better than we are, too good for the Air Force?
- No, ma'am. - Those rules and regulations...
- ...don't apply to you, right? - I don't feel that way.
Oh, I think you do.
And I think deep down you wanna leave.
Let me do you a favour. The door's open.
- Why don't you just quit and go home? - No, ma'am. I won't quit.
Good.
There's a lot of situations where we run into regular problems...
...that we'd run into in the Air Force.
Such as Amanda Tapping, the Major Carter character,...
...found herself in what we in the military say is "in-between hair",...
...where it's too short to put up...
...and yet too long to meet regulations.
Nice hair.
- Uh, Air Force. - I can't imagine that - going military.
I had to study as much as I could,...
...and when I found out I had the role I had two weeks to prepare.
So I got a personal trainer to get the physical aspect of the character down...
...and met with Navy SEALs.
- What are they doing? - (Teal'c) They wish to take Apophis alive.
The science aspect was a lot of homework.
I got on the Internet, I read Stephen Hawking's book...
...and anything I could get my hands on,...
...because the only way I could play this character is if I understood what she said.
And she says a lot of scientific technobabble.
And if I don't understand what I'm saying, then I'm lying and I'm cheating.
And it would be very easy to just say those words...
...and put an intonation to them that sounds convincing.
But for me I had to understand what she was talking about.
Oh, here we go. Another scientist. General, please.
Theoretical astrophysicist.
Which means?
Which means she's smarter than you are, Colonel.
You're constantly researching. When you come across a doctor, you're picking...
I say "you", but I pick their brains for any information I can get.
But being on the set we're very fortunate in having med techs with us at all times,...
...so we know what to do and make it look like we really know what we're doing.
- Lock him up. - Sir, with all due respect, he is injured.
He won't be any good to you unless we get him into the OR.
Do what you need to keep him alive, Doctor. We've gota lot of questions.
Yes, sir. OK, let's move him. I'm gonna set him on two IVs. Let's go.
In terms of Egyptology and all kinds of mythology, not just Egyptian,...
...we were fortunate to have a woman on our staff named Katharyn Powers,...
...who was extremely well versed in all things mythological.
She also wrote several episodes...
...and would come running into our offices excited...
...because she had just read a new myth that lent itself very well to Stargate,...
...and we would build episodes around it.
(prayer chant)
They have called me a couple of times to translate dialogue in the series...
...when they wanted Ancient Egyptian to be spoken,...
...for two episodes: "Serpent's Song" and "Forever in a Day".
I speak for Sha're, who can no longer speak for herself.
(speaks Ancient Egyptian)
I have spoken no lies, nor acted with deceit.
When I was gonna screen-test for the role I went to the Royal Ontario Museum...
...and looked at the Egyptian exhibits, as if that was gonna help me somehow.
This line recurs several times... "Domavatus vestul motabilum."
"Conqueror of time."
In this context, I'd say more like "Master of the uncertain past."
You're a skilled linguist, Dr Jackson.
The terms that are used in the series and references to some practices and so on,...
...it's a blend of things they've made up for the series...
...and other things which derive from real Ancient Egyptian practices.
So some of the deities: there's Osiris, the god Ra,...
...the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris...
...and a fertility-goddess, mother-goddess figure,...
...a powerful, magical force in Ancient Egypt.
All these things come from real Ancient Egyptian mythology.
(distorted) Make no mistake.
Osiris will return.
And the rivers of the Earth will run red with blood.
As you can see, the world of Stargate SG-1 extends way beyond the TV screen.
But at the heart of this show is its cast and crew.
From day one we've been fortunate to have established a strong sense offamily.
It's part of what I feel makes Stargate SG-1 succeed.
That, and a good caterer.
Arguably the most important aspect of TV production.
Life in general.
Let's hear whatthe cast and crew have to say about working on Stargate SG-1.
Those are the rewards of the job!
On a lot of shows I've done, people are like...
..."We'll go in, shoot the show and leave."
Here they buy into it a lot of times, and there's a lot of laughter on the set.
This crew likes coming to work here. This cast likes coming to work here. It's fun.
The fact that Richard has a great sense of humour,...
...Christopher Judge has a wonderful sense of humour...
...and probably one of the best laughs I've ever heard.
(warm, heartylaugh)
And so you have all these elements...
...and all these really goofy, wacky people who know each other so well.
Yeah. Our sets are a lot of fun.
Richard Dean Anderson is the patriarch.
And Don Davis is like the crazy grandfather.
Michael's the younger brother, the wild child.
I'm the older brother that's been through what Michael's been through,...
...who tries to give him advice, even though the producers would say...
...I'm the one that led him off the path of righteousness!
So we have this a typical family structure.
You see a lot of shows on TV, and when you have press junkets they say...
..."We're just one happy family. We love each other. Life's great and good."
And then once they're off set they don't speak to each other.
We do. We go play golf, we go out to dinner, we do things together.
It's a great show.
Colonel O'Neill, what the hellare you doing?!
In the middle of my backswing?!
Richard Dean Anderson is, like Michael and like Robert, a friend now.
It's amazing how close series television brings people together.
Can I help you?
The only thing I've ever demanded is a sense of humour.
It's not fun to get up at 4.30 in the morning to go rig a light. It's hard work.
They look serious, don't they?
Year after year makes you appreciate what a core family we have. And there is.
There is the mamas and the papas and all the babies.
And every beginning of a new year, just like the SG-1 team, is like a little family.
And it makes it so much more fun each year,...
...and you appreciate it more each year, to come back and see smiling faces...
...and to see, the first day, everybody so genuinely excited to see each other,...
...and to be doing what we're doing and be successful doing it.
I think it's been a real treat.
Well, I saw that planet.
(laughter)
I saw it. I was there.
Do I love coming to work? You bet. Do I still pinch myself? Absolutely. It's great.
If you have a good story and good casting and execute it, you'll have a good show.
It looks like our journey has come full circle, so it's fair to ask...
...what is it about Stargate SG-1 that makes it so popular and unique?
Well, for one, it feeds upon our fascination to explore the unknown...
...and seek out life in other parts of the universe.
What I love is we're not using spaceships, we're using the Stargate.
The human element is what's important.
It's a great way to study ourselves, our society, under the guise of science fiction.
The adventures that exist beyond the Stargate...
...are only limited by our imagination.
So you can be sure there are a lot more worlds to encounter...
- ...and many more stories to tell. - Only if we get back to work.
I'm Brad Wright.
I'm Richard Dean Anderson. Thanks for joining us.
Comedy reigns here at Stargate SG-1... somewhere else in the building.
We're not using giant spaceships to get there. We're using the Stargate.
The human element is important.
What? What did I do?
Nothing. It's me.
Come on, the cameras are rollin'. Do a director... Do a director thing.
Rick, that was a wonderful performance.
I haven't seen you act like that for a long time.
Very natural.