Now that the highly popular spin-off series “Stargate: Atlantis” will be returning for its 5th season on July 11 we can tell you that beginning next week we will have exciting interviews for you from two of the shows most favored stars — Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) and Rachel Luttrell (Teyla). Our intrepid roving reporter Linda Craddock was able to talk with each between takes on the set of Atlantis, so be looking for those soon right here on the Slice of SciFi website.
In other Atlantis updates:
Teyla (and real-life Rachel Luttrell) has given birth to her baby and that will add new excitement and turns to her character’s story-arc, but she will still be fully onboard and kicking some serious butt in that good old fashion Teyla style we have all grown to love when the next season begins a week from this Friday.
As everyone should know by now Robert Picardo joins the cast as a series regular when the new season begins reprising his Stargate SG-1 role of the outwardly abrasive bureaucrat Richard Woolsey, who really has a soft heart. He will take over command of the Atlantis station from Col. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) who was placed in temporary charge of the station after Elizabeth Weir was captured by the Replicators. Tapping stays on for the first few episodes before her character returns back to the SGC on Earth.
Tapping will be starring in her online hit series “Sanctuary” this fall as it moves to the SCI FI Channel with all-new episodes.
On the Weir front, executive producer Joseph Mallozzi (whom we also interviewed several months ago) stated in a recent interview with SCI FI Wire that it’s unlikely former series regular Torri Higginson would return as Dr. Elizabeth Weir in the upcoming fifth season, though her storyline was left hanging.
“To be honest, I think it’s highly unlikely” that Higginson will come back, Mallozzi said. “She did a couple of guest spots last season and was excited about finishing up the Replicator storyline and was very excited about coming back.”
Mallozzi went on to say that Higginson has since turned down a script that would have brought Weir back again, so it’s safe to say that, for the time being at least, Torri is out of the picture.
However, Jill Wagner’s renegade leader Larrin may return in a future season.
“We wanted to bring Jill Wagner back, but she was working on something else,” Mallozzi said. “I talked to her, and she was awesome in the past season, and we haven’t killed her off. Even if we had, our track record doesn’t necessarily mean she’s gone for good. There is in season six a potential to bring her back. So, yeah, why not?”
Finally, what about Dr. Beckett? I think we’ll save any news about him for our interview with Paul next week — so stay tuned to the Slice of SciFi website because this is the only place you’ll get to hear it first hand from the man himself.
