A nod to our friends in America - "It's the economy, stupid" was a Democrat slogan that cut right to the heart of the matter.  Let's hear about writing and the creative direction of the show from some of our key players.

"Stargate is a tough show to write for," continues Glassner. "One of the reasons for this is that we want to give something to all of our leads to do in every episode and occasionally that's a challenge if the plot centres on just one of them." 

Jonathan Glassner, Executive  Producer, Stargate SG-1 Seasons One - Three.

"You have to have human beings driving the story lines -- interacting as human beings with human reactions to extraordinary situations in extraordinary circumstances. If the story is not there, it can't sustain itself."

Richard Dean Anderson 'The Hollywood Reporter' Sep. 4-10, 2001

"This was during a time during the show when we were trying to bump up the ratings and we were taking our cue from Seven of Nine, thinking that that might help the show.  And, in fact, the show didn't need help.  It was perfectly fine the way it was and we didn't need half-naked, really hot, skilled actresses walking around trying to keep our interest."

Peter DeLuise, (Creative Consultant, writer, director) Season Four director's audio commentaries on UK DVD volume 14.

"Maybe if you watched the episodes you didn't write, you'd know what was happening." 

Robert C. Cooper (Executive Producer and writer) to Joseph Mallozzi (Supervising Producer and writer) at Gatecon, Vancouver, September 2001.

"The bottom line is there aren't any more original ideas in SF."

Joseph Mallozzi or Paul Mullie.  Cult Times #85 interview, October 2001.  Interviewer Frank Garcia credits Mr. Mallozzi.  Irate fans protested in print and on web.  Mr. Mallozzi stated to fans that Frank Garcia incorrectly attributed this statement to him and in turn credits Mr.  Mullie.

“Our writers dream up some great ideas when it comes to writing Daniel stories, and I’ve had some excellent ones this year. I relish those episodes as they allow me to spread my wings as an actor,” says Shanks. “Unfortunately, in group situations they’re still not quite sure what to do with my character. I think that’s been a common theme since the series began. Daniel is a bit of a loner and an outsider and, to top it off, he’s not a soldier. So when the fighting starts what do we do with him? We have him crouch behind a rock and leave him out of the action or we don’t have him in the scene at all."

“I found this happened more and more this year, especially since the creation of this red-herring relationship between Jack O’Neill and Sam Carter [Amanda Tapping]. The series has gone in a direction that I did not expect, and, believe me, I'm not saying that’s a bad thing at all.  I'm just saying I think Daniel has been slightly limited this year in his actual interaction with the team.  Again, stories where he has been the focus have been wonderful, but they sort of wind up excluding the rest of SG-1.  So, if anything, my wish for next season would be for my character to be worked a little more into the group dynamic."

Michael Shanks, TV Zone #134, Jan 01

THR: What's the secret to doing innovative sci-fi stories? 

Anderson: "The audience is so savvy -- especially in this genre. My contention has been that you can only fool people with smoke and mirrors for so long. Bottom line: If you're not telling good stories, people are going to tune out, and they'll see right through the sham. You have to have human beings driving the story lines -- interacting as human beings with human reactions to extraordinary situations in extraordinary circumstances. If the story is not there, it can't sustain itself. Gadgets or no gadgets, effects or no effects, that's all well and fine, but that's cosmetic as far as I'm concerned." 

Richard Dean Anderson, The Hollywood Reporter, Sep 4th-10th 2001

Q: (What's the truth behind the rumour you're not returning for Season Six?) 

Shanks: "I made the decision with a heavy heart and nothing came heavier than about a week and a half ago when I had to actually leave the show, but it was a decision that I think is best not only for me but for the show.  Because I felt a lot of the time the character was becoming a bit of an anchor dragging behind the show and - ah - was holding it up a little bit. Another character could probably serve it in the direction that it was going. If you haven't seen the fifth season then you probably don't know what I'm talking about, but there is a certain - ah - 'military element'  - um -that is taking hold of the show, meaning that we're going off in a pseudo X-Filesy kind of direction some of the time that was explored in the fourth season. And I think the best way to put it is the character wasn't being - as well as it - it wasn't comfortable for him, he was not being allowed to slip into that groove comfortably. And I felt that - if that effort wasn't going to be made then it was time for me to move on."

Michael Shanks at Sydney Con - Saturday,  Sep 2001

By the start of the fourth season, things seemed to he going in a direction that I wasn’t comfortable with. 

Asked to explain in more detail, Shanks offers, “I went to the producers and said, ‘I’m worried. I’m concerned about the ramifications of the end of the love interest story and with the introduction of the Earth conspiracy staff with Maybourne and the NID.”’ Speaking of the whole wheels-within-wheels plot Shanks says, ‘It wasn’t that I felt they weren’t interesting storylines. Those were very good episodes.  The problem for me was that oftentimes because it’s a show about a military man in a military base surrounded by the inner workings of the military, Daniel, as a civilian was not included in the loop of those things. It’s logical he wouldn’t be included and I guess what I’m saying is I wanted a stronger effort made to include the character within those things. I could see how difficult it was becoming to create a valid role for Daniel and that ultimately became a needle in my side. The character wasn’t involved in those things when the episodes came up." 

Although Shanks made the decision to pack up and leave rather than see the character’s potential whittled down, he admits to doing so with a very heavy heart.

Michael Shanks, Dreamwatch #88, Dec 2001

The show was moving in a direction that seemed to hold less and less a place for my character,” explains Shanks. “There were a number of conspiracy plots developing and other Earth-based scenarios that were being done in order to flesh out the different aspects of dealing with the Stargate. 

“Stargate had become a programme about a military group in a military institution surrounded by all the various aspects and organizations that people in the military might have to deal with. As the sole civilian of the team, other than Teal’c, there’s wasn’t much for Daniel to do. For example, in the fifth season we seemed to revisit many of the same planets we had been to in the fourth year. Being an anthropologist/archeologist, Daniel goes to other worlds to meet new races and study new cultures. Instead, we were dealing with old situations and becoming further entrenched in past conflicts. As a result, the archeological and cultural interests of my character had to take a backseat." 

"It was getting to a point where Daniel was in scenes just to he there, you know, and, frankly, I didn’t want to do that any more."

Michael Shanks, TV Zone #146, Dec 2001

Having broached his concerns with the producers of the show, Shanks explains, “I talked with them and said that I felt that Stargate had become a show steeped in the inner workings of the military and the things the military members of the team, i.e. Jack, Sam and General Hammond, had to deal with. But my character, as the only civilian besides Teal’c, who is a warrior in his own right, was not included in the loop of those things. I mean, an archaeologist wouldn’t normally be included in those things.” 

Trying to find the right words, he goes on, “I guess what I’m saying is I feel that Daniel’s continuing distance from the NID conspiracy and the military machinations that were permeating the series was a problem I saw developing. Ultimately it became the needle in my side that the character wasn’t involved in those scenarios when the episodes came up which eventually prompted my request to leave the show. 

“It wasn’t that the ‘shoot-em up’ and Maybourne conspiracy stories weren’t good stories. On the contrary, they were great...but I saw that trend developing more and more, especially throughout the fifth season, and I knew I couldn’t let that continue.” 

Shanks is careful not to lay all of the blame for his discontent on the shoulders of the writers or the executive producers of the show with whom he still has the warmest relationship.  "...naturally you want to be doing more as the show progresses, yet I found myself going in the opposite direction and saw the character being involved less in stories. So with all these things in mind it was not without a heavy heart that I said, ‘Well, okay, if this is the way it’s going to go then I don’t want to be here’. 

Michael Shanks, Cult Times #77, Jan 2002

No longer writing for Daniel? Hmm. No longer going off-world? What's the deal? Okay, let's look at how season 5 breaks down. 

Let me begin by saying, yes, as some have pointed out, Daniel's reason for being part of the team was put into question following the death of Sha're in an episode the German broadcasters titled, appropriately enough, Sha're Is Dead. That's not to say there would be no reason for him to stay on, simply that one of his biggest motivating factors had been "put to rest". In order to keep that emotional drive alive for the character, we introduced Sarah/Osiris in The Curse, a former love interest now intergalactic baddie. So where is Osiris? 

Well, this brings us to the "why aren't you writing for Daniel?" question. In a recent chat, a fan asked me whether we had made a concerted effort to make the first few episodes more action-oriented. I answered "no, that's simply the way the episodes fell". Either because of production concerns, availability of the actors, or merely a matter of when we come up with a certain idea, episodes will fall will they will. 

Let's break down season 5 (not including the last two episodes as they deal specifically with Daniel's departure). The first 20 episodes were in place before Michael's decision to leave. Of these 20 episodes: 

Episodes in which the team goes off-world or the result of some off-world visit drives the story: 15 

Episodes focusing in which the "NID conspiracy" is the main story and not a B plot : 0 

Number of team episodes (one of our foursome may have received more screentime if you're counting minutes but, overall, it is an episode in which the entire team is on the mission): 6 

Number of "Daniel" episodes: 4 (Beast of Burden, Summit, Last Stand, Menace. 

That leaves 10 episodes that focus on our other three team members (one could argue the point that Daniel had a prominent role in 48 Hours as his visit with the Russians and argument was crucial to Teal'c's rescue but I'll place the episode here amongst the 10 for the sake of argument). 

What we have tried to do is to pursue varied storylines, be they off-world stories dealing with other cultures (ie. Red Sky, Beast of Burden, The Sentinel), off-world stories focusing on our overall arc (ie. Enemies, Summit, Last Stand), Earth-based stories (ie. Wormhole X-Treme, Desperate Measures), Earth-based stories that result from off-world situations (ie. Ascension, Menace. 

In short, it comes down to trying to please all of the people all of the time. It's just not going to happen. 
JM

Joseph Mallozzi, Starguide forums, Dec-19 1:47 am, post 1134.12

To begin with, I never said Sarah/Osiris was created to give Daniel a reason for remaining with the team ("That's not to say there would be no reason for him to stay on"). The Sarah/Osiris arc was introduced to open up more potential storylines for the Daniel character (ie. Summit).
 
Second - by 6 team episodes, I'm being conservative. Individuals will have their own opinion of what constitutes a team episode. 

Third - When we write an episode that focuses on one particular character, the other characters may not play that prominent a role in the story. Last season's Crossroads and this season's Threshold focused on Teal'c, while Daniel played a relatively minor role. In last season's 2010 and this season's Ascension, we explored Carter (and her much-requested present and future home life). Conversely, when we spotlight Daniel, the other characters may not necessarily figure into the story as much (last year's The Curse or this year's Beast of Burden). 

Fourth - After 100-some episodes, a show evolves. Characters and civilizations, story arcs and villains we introduced over the course of the first four seasons will offer springboards for future stories. As a result, you will naturally get "less stories about the team going through the gate and meeting new cultures". Enemies and Threshold picked up where last year's cliffhanger, Exodus, left off. Episodes like Rite of Passage, Beast of Burden, Between Two Fires, 2001, and Wormhole X-treme! allow us to follow up on events from previous seasons. 

Fifth - Some may disagree, but I think Daniel's character made great contributions in episodes in which he wasn't necessarily the main focus (ie. 2001, The Tomb, 48 Hours). And although not a driving force in the action, still very much a presence in others (ie. Enemies, Red Sky, Fifth Man).

Joseph Mallozzi, Starguide Forum, Dec-20 1:45 am, 1147.1

This is an earth-based episode which finds the storyline of Adrian Conrad's symbiote possession coming back to light. When a research doctor calls Carter and then mysteriously dies, Carter goes to a small company-run town to investigate.  Jonas and Teal'c are also trailing, checking out the townspeople, who all appear to be in some large conspiracy regarding the science company.  Even the Sheriff and deputy are in on it.

It soon comes to light that the NID is involved in one of those projects that *always* goes awry: playing God. They're cloning symbiotes, and like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," nothing good can come of it. And it appears Carter has become their latest test subject.

No sign of O'Neill in this storyline.

Source: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sg1_spoilme, 12 Mar 02

Season Six's "Nightwalkers" will continue a plotline started in Season Five, and provide a different sort of adventure for SG-1. According to an anonymous source, the episode will focus on Major Carter as she leads the team on an "X-Files" style investigation on Earth.

Colonel Jack O'Neill apparently will be absent from the adventure (though he may still appear in the episode in some capacity), giving actor Richard Dean Anderson a well-deserved break.

The rest of this report does contain big spoilers for the episode, so proceed at your own risk!

Here's what our insider had to say:

Carter is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from Dr. Flemming, whom she has never met. He starts to tell her that "the project" was never stopped. He doesn't have time to say which project, but mentions Adrian Conrad [who became a Goa'uld host in Season Five's "Desperate Measures"]. He asks for protection, and then Carter hears what sounds like a car crash.  Carter, Teal'c and Jonas are sent out to investigate. It's Carter's mission all the way, and fairly X-Files. They go to a small town were the biotech firm that Flemming was working for is located. The sheriff tells them that Flemming's car was found wrecked, but his body wasn't there when help arrived. Flemming has vanished. The sheriff suspects foul play, and the biotech firm has burned down just prior to SG-1's arrival. Very fishy.

Most of the towns people have immature Goa'uld in their heads which, like we saw with Kawalski way back in the second episode of the series ["The Enemy Within"], can't control them all the time. They Goa'uld are building a ship to try to escape from Earth. The NID know about the whole thing.

There's some cute comic relief with Jonas and Teal'c doing the "aliens trying to act like regular guys" thing. Carter is possessed by a Goa'uld, but all turns out well in the end.

Over at the SG1 Spoil Me list, Elyse adds this plot info: "It soon comes to light that the NID is involved in one of those projects that always goes awry: playing God. They're cloning symbiotes, and like 'Invasion of the Body
Snatchers,' nothing good can come of it. And it appears Carter has become their latest test subject."

"Nightwalkers" will air early in Season Six, which kicks off on The Sci-Fi Channel in the United States in June.

12-Mar-02

As a writer as well as producer of the show, Brad Wright highlighted the more positive side of the conclusion on one cycle of the show and the start of another. “As someone who has written a lot of hours of Stargate SG-1, I’m looking forward to the newness that will come from having to create a new character and make that character work as part of the team.  Whether we’re successful enough or not – the fans will have to decide.  But I genuinely appreciate the challenge simply because it’s new.  Very few people in my position even stay on a show as long as I have, so I’m looking forward to the change.”
 
While not wishing to give away too many spoilers, Wright was eventually persuaded to reveal some details about the exciting new developments.  “The new character is introduced in the episode entitled ‘Meridian’,” he begins. “I thought it would be a nice symmetry if we met the new character in the same episode in which Daniel leaves.” Sadly, the actor’s name was embargoed at the time this article was written ( the ink wasn’t dry on his contract), but the executive producer did confess, “He is a big name.  People are going to recognize him straightaway.  He is very funny.  He is very good and I really like him.  The one thing he is going to bring to the screen is an enthusiasm and an ‘I’ve never seen this before and this is all new to me’ feel which I think is important for a lot of reasons.” 

"First and foremost, Wright suggests. `The Sci Fi Channel is our new broadcaster, and we'll have a whole lot of new viewers, so our new guy is going to provide an enthusiasm and a newness to the team that the new viewers deserve.  Nobody wants to tune in to a show for the first time and see a bunch of characters going through the Stargate where every one of them is in `been there, seen that' mode.  I understand and respect our regular actors' decisions to act that way because it makes sense. This is their job and they have been doing it for five years.  However, the new guy will give a freshness. He will deliver a fresh approach to how we look at every situation.' " 

Brad Wright, SciFi Magazine, April 2002

Michael Shanks walks into a room at Wolf Events' SG-4 convention and plonks himself comfortably into a chair. It's astounding how little physical likeness he shares with his recently deceased character on Stargate SG-1, Daniel Jackson. Watching this warm, friendly man, one begins to understand just what a talented actor the show has lost following his controversial decision not to renew his contract.

That the decision has not been accepted easily by his thousands of fans evidently bemuses him. While he has taken pains to assure the `Danielites' that it was, in the end, his decision to make, those viewers' dedication has taken him by surprise. Some took out advertisements in magazines such as the Hollywood Reporter, lobbying for his return. Looking at one such advert he smiles wryly...

"It's very nice to see a group of people go to that amount of effort to bring it into the public eye - even more than the show would do itself, in a way."

Shanks pinpoints his growing discontent with his role as the reason for his choice, and adds that it's a problem that could have easily been resolved. His unhappiness stems from the writers' treatment of the character, which to his mind had become more and more two-dimensional as the seasons progressed.

"I think me leaving is a kind of indicator of how satisfied I was [with Season Five]. I found the last two years [saw] a winding down of the character's usefulness, and the lack of desire of the producers to incorporate that character and use him properly was at times very frustrating... It just seemed that there was a painting into a corner of Daniel which was done early in the Fourth season: there wasn't a big effort to include him in the big scene. As an actor, that's frustrating: when you are there all the time but not contributing in any way. I guess it's like playing with a sports team where you are sitting on the bench..."

So what would have made him happy to continue as Daniel Jackson?  Shanks says it would have made a difference if the writers had been more enthusiastic on behalf of his character. "But again, the more I seemed to be vocal about it, the less I saw happening, and the more my frustration built up. So that led to the eventual decision..."

Nevertheless, Shanks didn't relent, a turn of events he again attributes to the lackadaisical attitude of the producers. "It almost seemed as if it were something that they were hoping I'd do," he continues frankly, "so that they could have a fresh perspective for season six..."

Michael Shanks, Xpose #66, Mar 02