Welcome to SaveCarsonBeckett.com
Dr. Carson Beckett, the Scottish Heart of Atlantis, was written out of Stargate Atlantis in Season 3's 17th episode "Sunday." Read more here to learn how you can help save him!
Paul McGillion Describes Leaving Atlantis
07.Feb.07 by astrumporta | Category News |
The latest issue (#347) of the UK genre magazine Starburst has an extensive interview with Paul McGillion plus other content related to this campaign and the casting changes to Stargate Atlantis. Paul finally speaks out about his experience being written out of the show. It makes for a very moving read and should inspire all of us to fight ever harder on behalf of Paul and Carson.
Here is an excerpt from the interview with Paul McGillion in which he talks about how he was let go from Atlantis.
Just as work on Phantoms was ending, McGillion received some news that would affect his future on Atlantis. “We shot most of this story on location, and when we got back to the studio for the final day of filming, one of the ADs said that the producers wanted to talk to me,” recalls the actor. “I didn’t think anything of it. Truthfully, I thought they might be telling me, ‘Great job in Phantoms’. However, when I went upstairs and they closed the office door, I knew it was serious. They said ‘Stargate SG-1 isn’t being renewed, and we’re not sure yet if Atlantis is going to be either. We need to shake things up a bit, and the long and short of it is we’re going to kill off Beckett.’
“Needless to say I was stunned, for lack of a better word. I didn’t see that coming at all. Personally, I felt like I was doing a good job on the programme and I think the producers thought so as well. I sat there and listened to the reasons behind this move and what they were looking to do. I was sad and disappointed by their decision , but yet this is a business. I understand that and I respect these guys for giving me the chance to play a character like Carson Beckett. I’m not being political when I say that. I’m being honest. Most actors never get a dream job like that in their entire career, and I had it for three years.
“After they told me, I said ‘I’m disappointed and shocked, but obviously you’re smart guys. The Stargate franchise has been around for a long time, so you know what you’re doing. So how do we move on from here? How do you want me to handle this?’ We would shoot Beckett’s final episode [Sunday] out of sequence, and the producers asked me if I wanted to leave after that. I said that I wanted to finish my contract the way I went into it, with integrity. Not only that but I wanted to honour the character as well as the cast and crew that I had been working with all this time.”
After finishing work on Sunday the actor returned to the Atlantis set to film the remaining episodes leading up to Beckett’s swansong. “The final story I did this season was The Ark,” says McGillion, pausing briefly to collect himself. “Only a few people knew it was my last day, including Martin Wood. He wanted to make a speech about me in front of the cast and crew once we wrapped, but I said to Alex Pappas ‘I can’t be there on set because I’ll break into tears. Just tell everyone that I’ll see them at the wrap party and shake each of their hands for being so wonderful to me over the years’. So I just let it go like that, and I hope I went out, hopefully, with dignity and class.”
Elsewhere in the magazine is another letter from a Carson Beckett fan and this editorial note about the campaign:
SAVE OUR STARGATE REGULARS
Will ‘Save Dr Beckett’ campaign become ‘Save Dr Weir’?
Well it’s not news, it’s history. Dr Carson Beckett was killed off in the Stargate Atlantis episode, ‘Sunday’. Scottish born McGillion was initially cast in Stargate as a recurring guest, but his character of the Scottish doctor Carson Beckett appeared so frequently in the show’s first season that he was promoted to main character at the start of Season Two. The savecarsonbeckett website had this to say: “We as a group would like to express our disappointment at ‘the powers that be’ for their disgraceful handling of the death of Dr. Carson Beckett, and the resulting dismissal of Paul McGillion. They have never given us any reasonable explanation on Paul’s removal from the main cast…It is an insult to the actor, Paul McGillion, who has been nothing but loyal, enthusiastic and supportive to this show”. A recent message from McGillion to fans on his website said “I am truly overwhelmed by the support that is happening for ‘Carson Beckett’. Although I can not comment on the situation at this time, please know that I have had the time of my life working on Atlantis and wuold embrace the chance to keep the good Doctor around! Lots of Luv, Paul”….
We’d like to note that the campaign quote above was taken from the “Save Carson” thread on Gateworld, not from this website. It does of course reflect many fans’ feelings on the matter.
Visit this link to order your own copy of the issue. Many thanks to SueKay for typing up this excerpt and providing it on the Gateworld forum.
104 Comments »
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Comment by Becca | 07.Feb.07 @ 4:28 pm
What the heck?!?! How could they do that? Kill off one of the most important members of Atlantis just to “shake things up”? I’m freaking pissed. I thought maybe they let him go for something important. But this? This is crap. How could they do that to him. “He wanted to make a speech about me in front of the cast and crew once we wrapped, but I said to Alex Pappas ‘I can’t be there on set because I’ll break into tears. Just tell everyone that I’ll see them at the wrap party and shake each of their hands for being so wonderful to me over the years’” I almost cried when I read that. That shows just how much integrity, faithfulness, and kindness he has. That definitely shows through his character as as well. I fell so sorry for him, because they took something away from him that he enjoyed doing. They basically took him away from his ’surrogate ‘ family because he became such close friends with them. All I can say is they better fix the lethal mistake they made; before the ratings drop and they loose the show.
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Comment by Shawna | 07.Feb.07 @ 5:13 pm
Dude. I had hoped there’d be a good reason, but “to shake things up”? Crap. Pure, utter crap.
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Comment by Steph | 07.Feb.07 @ 5:27 pm
So, they want to shake things up?? Alright let’s do that!!! We have to keep on sending letters, writing on this site, letting everyone know we fans cannot allow this crap to happen!! I have to disagree with Paul on a point: these guys did NOT know what they were doing when they made this decision!!
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Comment by Guips | 07.Feb.07 @ 5:55 pm
GIVE OUR DOCTOR CARSON BECKETT BACK RIGHT NOW!
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I’ve bought every DVD for SG-1 and Atlantis and although I own Firefly as well, Jewel is no Carson. How they could write off the best supporting cast member of Atlantis and introduce what I think is an attempt for sexual appeal is complete crap. Don’t get me wrong Jewel is one of my fav gal next door types and can actually act as well but Carson?? Why not Zalenka or some such?? First they bugger up the timeslots now they cut their own throat with the fans. A total pity.
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Comment by TracyM | 07.Feb.07 @ 6:20 pm
Can we start writing to the sponsors of the commercials which run during Stargate Atlantis, including the shows now in syndication?
If we hit them in the pocketbook, maybe they’ll get the message.
Is there any reason why we couldn’t do this? -
Comment by astrumporta | 07.Feb.07 @ 7:37 pm
It’s really a tragic telling, isn’t it? I think what Paul went through is something most of us can relate to very well… Keeping our dignity in situations where it would be easy to lose it in one way or another. Paul is truly a class act.
I know the show’s success is all about ratings and demographics, but I just don’t believe replacing Carson with Jewel’s character will have any positive impact on those at all.
I respect the producers for trying to keep the show going, I really do. I’m sure they believed their reasons were valid. But they lost sight of the big picture of fan loyalty, and lost a bit of their humanity too, to fire Paul of all people.
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Comment by Susan Malcolm | 07.Feb.07 @ 7:42 pm
I love Atlantis - but I think that after Paul leaves a bit of the heart of the programme will be gone. Unless he comes back soon I don’t think that the programme will survive.
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 07.Feb.07 @ 9:27 pm
It is so simple. “Shake things up”. What they’ll do next time? “F*** their b*tts”. I agree with TracyM. We have to make them understand their mistake. Letters is good, but not enough. We have to hit to their moneypockets. Lowering the rates of episodes, writing “Booo-hoooo” or some kind of that on all official sites. We have to make them understand that they have to restore Beckett or they’ll loose the show.
P.S. By reading gateworld’s forum I fear that after the first part of SGA season 4 we will see the returning of all SG-1 characters and transformation from SGA to some kinds of SG-2, imho.
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I knew it! I knew it! I’m gonna write to MGM right now and send a letter to “scifi letters”.
Poor Paul! I’m so sad for him! Beckett didn’t deserve to die, Sheppard does! He is an idiot! Paul is the best actor in SGA!
I agree Vladimir!It’s thanks to US that the show is still here, WE ARE NOT MILKY COWS!
Hey guys, girls , let’s make our voices loud to make them understanding that make Paul leaving the show is more than a mistake, it THE END of the show!
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Woah Ripley. I agree the way Paul has been treated is inexcusable and callous and that his character was one of the best things about the show. The whole thing makes me MAD!!! But please DO NOT bash the other actors/characters! Its not fair to the fans of both. Please?
But you’re right. we need to WRITE WRITE WRITE and have our voices heard!!!
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I’m an italian fan and I’m so sad for Paul and for all of us! “Shake things up”??? And for this they kill this lovely charachter, the dreams of an excellent actor, our doctor? Paul is a really great persons, a gentleman for as he has accepted this decision fiercely!This is a style lesson!!! The Atlantis authors and producers must learn to respect the actors and the fans! Shake things up??? Write better histories next time!!!
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Comment by shadow-of-atlantis | 08.Feb.07 @ 6:00 am
When I read this I was really shocked. How could they treat him that way? “Shake up things a bit”?? Has that to mean to kill a character? Write out such a great actor like Paul? You can do dramatic stuff without killing anyone. Why did they do this? That wasn’t necessary, there are so many other ways to “shake up things a bit”.
I think with writing Paul out of the show and all the other cast changes they shook the things to much.
DON’T STOP WRITING! DON’T STOP FIGHTING! -
Comment by Vecturist | 08.Feb.07 @ 7:30 am
I really feel sorry for Paul, and he’s definitely being a professional about the situation, but TPTB went for a cheap fix. If they wanted to shake things up, they should have considered bringing in a few new writers and new storylines.
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Of course I wont cancel the comment Ripley, you have a right to your opinion, remember this comments are moderated, it wouldn’t have been let through if we have a serious issue with it.
I asked in the interests of maintaining civility. I may, or may not agree with your sentiments but this isn’t the place to post that sorta thing.
I hope you can understand that? Lets aim our outrage and anger at more constructive targets! Like give SCIFI & TPTB a piece of our minds. I re-read that interview and it chokes me up everytime. How could they reward his hard work like that?
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Comment by Manuela | 08.Feb.07 @ 9:56 am
I think they will kill off some of the other actors as well to bring in the ectors of SG1. That idea s*cks. As sorry i would be for the other actors - let’s hit them where it really hurts: the moneypockets. we’re doing that for the other actors too, because their characters are on the line as well.
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Comment by Michelle, England | 08.Feb.07 @ 12:52 pm
I feel sick!
I just hope …. I just really hope…. that Rob, Brad, Joe or Paul can be man enough to say ‘Look, we made a mistake…we were wrong, let’s get him back’ .
There would be no shame in it guys. No-one would think any less of you.
Just put Paul back where he belongs… in Atlantis and not shuffling around the dirty streets of L.A. looking for a job.
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ok Tjuk, I understand.
Some french fans (not like me) of SGA said that it won’t serve to anything to send letters, signing petitions….and some of them think that carson won’t be back, for me, it is a possible issue.
they lied us once, why not twice?
I’m not pessimistic, just realistic.
But somewhere, I’m saying to myself: if I put my arms down, there’s a chance less.
So, I will fight, I will, for Paul because to my eyes (ok, I repeat it again and again) he is the best actor in the show, I’m saying from the bottom of my heart.
And I think that we don’t know everything about Carson. We haven’t seen him crying, being angry (maybe in phantoms-great episode), seeing him more laughing…about first strike, I saw jewel staite, and i think i’ll let her one chance. she seems to be a great actress but she is not Paul. :’(
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You need to tell french fans, if they dont at least TRY then there is no chance and he will be dead for good. Remember, no one dies in scifi….unless we let them.
IF the Daniel Jackson fans had said ‘oh well he’s dead’, we would have said goodbye to Daniel for good. But they FOUGHT to bring him back, they sent letters, wrote petitions, donated and got an ad in Variety and much more.
They NEVER gave up and because of that they have 3 more season, and now 2 movies to enjoy with the chararacter.
We have it FIGHT to get Carson back, to show Paul how much we care and because he was one of the BEST things about the show!
SAVE CARSON!
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Comment by Dariusz | 08.Feb.07 @ 6:53 pm
How could they.
Don’t know if the whole truth was told yet on what really happened, but, gee, it’s just stupid to kill the heart of atlantis, and that’s what Carsen was, I guess to all of us!!!
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Comment by Io | 08.Feb.07 @ 7:39 pm
I Am Still upset over this whole bloody thing.
Yes I can understand about trying to shake things up but I don’t think it had anything to do with the shows storyline nor its actors, which I think all, have done a GREAT job.
I feel this all falls on Sci Fi. They did not want to renew SG1 and ever since they started to mess with all the shows that they had on the Friday night SG1 Atlantis and Battlestar they messed things up big time.
I think we need to also hit them hard as they are the ones that have done this to us.
I hope to all that might be out there that they do bring him back, but I can’t see them doing it the same as they did with Michael Shanks. Tho I do hope they can find a way that will be believable.
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 08.Feb.07 @ 8:19 pm
REMEMBER CARSON!!!! REMEMBER THE SHOW!!!
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 08.Feb.07 @ 9:42 pm
I’ve watched the Sunday episode… Damn I’m sooo upset… Can you imagine I’ve barely slept….
For now I’m so emotianly unstable, that I can take a M4 Carabine and do something bad with it…..
By the way I have an idea with M&M decision about “shake things up”. maybe it will be better for them to go to bathroom with playboy or something like that and “shake their thing up”…
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 08.Feb.07 @ 9:48 pm
I’m sorry for the last part of my last message, but I think that this will be better than killing…
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Comment by John C. | 08.Feb.07 @ 9:53 pm
This whole scenario of shaking things up by killing off
the character of Dr. Carson Beckett reeks of bored
production executives sitting around in a meeting and
throwing darts in a board with character names on it,
to trying to decide who to kill off to make one of their
little hours more dramatic. Shake up what shake up?
The show was fine as it was. Its not broke so lets fix
it. What is wrong with the people who produce SG-A
its as if they lost all intellectual discipline. As if one of the
suits in power made some outlandish suggestion that
has no constructive purpose and the producers went ahead with the idea. Well the idea didn’t work.
The fans want Carson (Paul) back. We don’t care if you have to travel back in time to save him, or find
another Beckett from one of the alternate universes, or have him return through a temporal
anomaly. The fans want him back. This makes the
fans happy and in the long run its better for the show. ( And its better for DVD sales later on) Its
better for all concerned that Stargate:Atlantis not
become the “New Coke” of the franchise. -
Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 08.Feb.07 @ 11:15 pm
John C. you are absolutely right. But you wount get anything just by saying - I want Carson. Return him at once. Tell you words to TPTB.
We all know that we all need him back. We all can make at least a dozen of scenarios of his returning. I can write 3 absolutely different scenarios of his returning absolutely for free. Just to see his bright face again.We need to figure out how make them understand our position.
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Yes, ok, I know that Carson is an utterly fictional character, but the thing is, when I become a fan of these shows, I CARE about them… I want them to be the best they can be… And I care for the stars of these shows. I may not know them, but they are fellow human beings..! And they do a fantastic job of crafting a product, contributing to a product, that I have taken to my heart..! (SGA is a product, after all - They sell it, don’t they??)… Well, what they did just makes no sense… It only goes against them, proving nothing more than that they are tired… I want Paul back!!! I SO just want him back!!! I can’t stand the thought of tuning in to the show and him not being there… I will always sense his absence… It just doesn’t make any sense. Paul is a great actor, one whom was a channel for so much great character interaction and chemistry with the rest of the cast… And, Carson was an intriguing, hard-working, endearing character in his stand-alone moments also (!)…
Bethany
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Comment by Leonie | 09.Feb.07 @ 6:29 am
I think the whole story they came up with to kill Beckett off and the explanation of this decision are the most ridiculous ones I´ve ever heard of! I always loved to see him and I think his character has more potential than many others on the show!!
I don´t know how this usually works in the US but isn´t the fact that he can speak openly about his dismissal an indication that they don´t plan to have him on the show again? -
Comment by Michelle, England | 09.Feb.07 @ 11:27 am
To quote a ‘famous’ southern man “Stupid is, as stupid does”.
I truly believe they already know they’ve made a huge mistake… now…how they react to that is going to say a lot.
If they continue with the Jewel Staite character then see the above quote.
However, if they bring Beckett back into the fold, well… to quote another famous man, i.e. PM himself, they just may be able to make ‘chicken salad from chicken s**t!’ again !!!
Paul has been treated terribly by the Atalntis PTB, but this is the place he wants to be… so let’s get him back there!!!
SAVE CARSON!!! SAVE CARSON!!! SAVE CARSON!!!
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Comment by Katrin | 10.Feb.07 @ 1:52 am
That’s so sad! How could they do that? I can’t believe that.
Not only the Carson character will be missed, but also the actor. The chemistry on the set!
Chemistry is very important! Viewers feel good chemistry! It’s what made Atlantis so special. And now it’s not there anymore.
Truly, truly, truly sad!
Please bring him back! Please!
You can keep Jewel Staite if you want… just bring Carson - and Paul! - back! -
Comment by Ian | 10.Feb.07 @ 12:32 pm
Carson is one of the main characters and his style will be missed.
It is a tragic mistake to leave him out of future episodes.
I have been a fan of all the stargate franchises since the original film and can tell when cast gell toghether. Hopefully this will turn into a Daniel Jackson type of death however I fear this will be permanent.
I will still watch the show and will reserve further judgement until next season but somehow I fear it will not be the same.
Thanks Paul for the commitment and energy you brought to the show. You will be missed! -
Comment by Marie | 10.Feb.07 @ 12:49 pm
I have to say, the treatment of Paul McGillion by the Stargate Production team has been very poor indeed. At least Tori Higginson had an official statement released but Paul has been completely ignored. Not what you would expect from a group of professionals at all.
At the very least you would hope that now, when they must be well aware of the negative fan reaction, they would attempt to explain their thinking.
It suggests to me that one of two things is going on. Firstly they are hoping that people will just get tired of the campaign and fall into line. Considering how passionate fans are regarding the show this seems unlikely and if that is their game plan, stick fingers in ears and whistle till the bad people go away it makes you wonder who is running things at Bridge, a toddler?
The second scenario is that they are aware of the strength of feelings and the likely negative impact that this will have on ratings and are currently trying to think of a way out of the large hole they have dug for themselves. I hope that this is the case.
Either way they would do themselves a power of good if they came out and talked to the fans. Stargate has always encouraged a strong fan participation, they do not have the option to stop this because they no longer like what the fans are telling them.
A year ago there was tremendous good will for this show and excitement over what was going to come next. All you have to do is look at the various boards, sites and other areas to see how badly we have ALL been let down. Paul McGillion and Torri Higginson by the shabby way they have been treated (although i would also count all the other actors on SG_A here as well, this must be bad for them as well, considering they are the ones who have to face the fans at conventions etc), Stargate Atlantis fans by having the heart ripped out of their show and left feeling let down and ignored by the producers. But perhaps the people the producers have let down the most are themselves, firstly by panicking and retreating into gimmicks and cheap stunts and second of all by the truly dreadful way in which they have treated fine actors and the fans who watch the show. It is very sad when people who you once thought quite highly of are revealed to have feet of clay.
For an example of grace and dignity and the way that people should behave under pressure I would therefore refer them to the Starburst interview.
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Thats a bloody excellent comment Marie! You should consider sending it to:
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Comment by Marie | 10.Feb.07 @ 3:28 pm
Thanks TJuk - I might just do that!
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Comment by Alex | 11.Feb.07 @ 3:50 pm
Are the producers for real??? How detached from reality can they be? To fire Paul McGillion shows a serious lack of touch with what the fans want, and this is most certainly out of character for a franchise which has lasted for 10 yearsby doing just that: Listening to the fans… Looks like some corporate idiots sit in their plush offices completely detached from reality, and their decision-making process is self-destructing to say the least. I love the show, have been a fan since the first series of SG1 and own all seasons on DVD, and although it hurts me to do so, I HAVE NOW STOPPED WATCHING THE SHOW AND WILL NOT RESUME UNTIL THEY RE-INSTATE PAUL. And if enough of us do this, they’ll get the message sooner rather than later.
BRAD AND ROBERT, YOU ARE MAKING THIS SHOW FOR US, THE FANS AND WE CAN, AND WILL BREAK YOU WHERE IT HURTS: IN THE RATINGS. WE ARE NOT IDIOTS, SO STOP TREATING US AS SUCH. BRING PAUL BACK!
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Comment by Alex | 11.Feb.07 @ 4:22 pm
Also, the ‘brilliant minds’ at Sci-fi are in desperate need of re-addressing their priorities. When a franchise is as succesful as SG1/Atlantis, you don’t just kill it… Unless you already possess a ‘killer’ alternative, (which is not happening anyway). The current alternatives are mostly dire in my opinion. All they achieve is alienating a lot of the people who ultimately support their ‘TV mogul’ lifestyles…
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Comment by Bendinae | 11.Feb.07 @ 7:14 pm
I wrote an email to one of Sci Fi’s advertisers today. I told them that I wouldn’t use their products anymore and I told them why. I gave them the url to this website so they could see how many other fans, and their families, loved the Beckett character.
I plan on sending a letter to a different advertiser every day, until I go through them all. The only reason I watch the Sci Fi channel these days is to scope out their advertisers.
If enough people start writing to Sci Fi’s advertisers, maybe it’ll make a difference. It’s worth a try, imho.
Hit ‘em in the bank account.
Viva La Beckett!!
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Comment by Amanda Ellis | 11.Feb.07 @ 8:04 pm
Oh My WORD when I saw that epsiode I broke into tears.. I could not stand It it was just crushing, but I do have an other option, in watching SG-1 I noticed the almost killed off Daniel… you thought that he was dead but then later he came back it really “shook things up”, so they should find a lab that can bring a person back to life or something… I miss Carson he was great!!!!!
~Amanda -
Comment by bill | 12.Feb.07 @ 11:42 am
BRING HIM BACK!!!!
I want to also congatulate Paul McGillion for the EXCELLENT performance on the Sunday episode, it was exceptional I almost cried, I really liked that character…damn bring him back!!! -
Comment by Max | 12.Feb.07 @ 2:13 pm
You screwed up my weekend when watched Sunday.
I’m not watching this to see my favorite characters dye!!!!!
We want Carson BACK !!!!
And give him a raise!!! -
Comment by Alex of Ealing | 12.Feb.07 @ 3:05 pm
Possible scenario for the triumphant comeback of Paul/Carson, with priceless guest starring by Rob and Brad:
Carson doesn’t die in the explosion, instead he “pulls a Daniel”: He ascents to a higher plain of existense, but when he finds out that the ascented ancients don’t have sex (and who wants to live forever without getting laid anyway ???) he decides to come back with both his memories and his ascented powers fully preserved, and settle some old scores… And woe to you oh earth and sea! The skies split as Paul descents from the higher plains of existense back into Canada! He takes over both Atlantis and Stargate Command. Noone can resist his newly found powers and as the absolute leader of all SGCs he re-instates both Weir and Hammond Of Texas to their former positions. Landry become’s Hammond’s second in command and Jack re-joins SG1 bringing with him his trademark: A good supply of much needed (and sorely missed) dry humour. Atlantis, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, the whole of Canada itself shakes as the cruel and foolish Rob and Brad beg the good doctor for mercy, but there is none to give: Carson is here to “shake things up a bit”, and this is just what he’s gonna do! Unlike his evil counterpart, Hannibal Lecter, he doesn’t eat their livers with a nice Chiante. That would be far too easy anyway. Instead, he exiles them to an arid Canadian quarry where they are chained like Prometheus on the stone. A Wraith comes every night and feeds on them but doesn’t kill them; it takes just enough for them to stay alive. The next day a Tokra with a hand-held healing device visits the haples duo and repairs the damage. And the suffering goes on and on…
Local legend has it that if one listens carefully during the small hours after midnight, one can still hear Rob’s and Brad’s agonizing cries being carried on the wind… It has been said that on clear nights their torment can be heard all the way to Quebec, a testament to the fate that befalls the ones who were foolish enough to “shake things up a bit” in the first place…
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Comment by Alex of Ealing | 12.Feb.07 @ 3:47 pm
Stargate Special: Carson’s Revenge part II:
Carson’s vengeance is not satiated yet. Far from it. The Sci-Fi execs who decided to pull the plug on Stargate have to pay. Carson calls a Sci-Fi board meeting at Stargate Command. His plan is simple, but brilliant in its conception: He wants to have all the culprits together in the same room. The execs gather totally oblivious of the terrible fate that awaits them. Once they are all inside the doors are sealed and the execs are chained down to their chairs and are then forced to watch David Hewlett’s eternal shame, Darklight, over and over again. The terrible CGI effects and pathetic storyline drive the Sci-Fi execs crazy, but that’s too bad: They funded such utter rubbish, and now it’s payback time. But Carson is not done yet. Using his ancient poewers he dilates time in order for the psychological torture to be prolonged to eternity. The execs are now forced to watch Darklight over and over again in extreme slow motion and there’s nothing any of them can do about it. For them, hell is alive and very real as Carson leaves them to their torment and exits the boardroom… Titles… The End…
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Comment by kris | 12.Feb.07 @ 7:08 pm
I didn’t want to read this; I knew it would bring tears. No, I’m not bawling. I’m too angry with the shallow, cold business atmosphere which has made TPTB successful. There seemed to be, in this case with Paul, no loyalty to him or consideration for him as a real person. Don’t they like him? It just squeezes my brain to wonder why TPTB made this insensitive decision. Poor Paul. I know how it feels to go in thinking it’s good news just to get axed. It crushes your spirit. I hope he keeps in mind how many fans love him as Carson Beckett, how much we appreciated him in the role. I’m all for bringing him back FULL TIME but at this point, no Carson, no me watching Atlantis. They’ll just end up ripping another character out of our hearts again for no good stinking reason except that they couldn’t come up with anything better to write about. I once excused the mediocre, silly episodes by thinking the writers were on too tight a schedule. Now I’m thinking they’ve become complacent and weren’t that good to begin with. Good luck to Paul. He didn’t deserve this.
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Comment by Lumina | 13.Feb.07 @ 1:19 am
Oh ! I am very sad for Paul. Poor Paul !
How can they do that to him? He is a very good actor !Save Carson and Paul !
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Paul McGillion was a great actor. And still is. He played an outstanding character, and played it well.
He’s one of the best actors ever seen on Stargate.
He didn’t deserve what he got for his efforts.
He never deserved falling victim to being the one actor, character, used without much serious thought, to just ’shake things up’.
So many fans across the world feel the pain with him. We all feel so sorry for Paul & Carson together. He never deserved this.
We all feel the anger for what was done to him.
We all feel such a strong pain and ache inside.
But we must move on. For Paul. For Carson.
We can’t let it go. We cannot let Carson Beckett down!!
We should join together and gather our strengths!
It’s our turn to ’shake up’ the writers, & producers who disgracefully dismissed such a great actor and friend!
Such a crushing blow to such a fantastic actor and Character!
Paul was such an amazing actor, and such a great friend.
Paul… Carson.. Deserved so much more.
You feel the fire burning within you?
When you feel that building up in you, do not waste your energy and hope on tears.
Paul and Carson will be greatly mourned.
But now is not the time for it.
We cannot let go. We canNOT give up on our ‘good doctor’ who has never given up on us. We are the heart of Stargate. The ratings, the finances, the letters!
We can make a difference!
We can make this right!
We feel this strong ache inside for Carson, that drives us to tears. A strong fire of feelings of anger, betrayal, and loss. We cannot let that fire go out.
And if that fire is not used, but just is let to sit, It will extinguish, and over time it will become the past.
We must use this fire, this energy, before it’s too far gone, and we MUST .. SAVE CARSON BECKETT!!
So whatever the approach you wish to take, may it be ratings or letters, We can not let our hopes down! Carson Beckett will be mourned. And Paul McGillion will be greatly missed.
But now is not the time for mourning the loss.
We cannot let them down now.
We must support him.
Keep fighting for him.
We must help give him the strength he needs in such a hard time in his career.
Let the fire burn on, and waste no moment of motivation!
We can not allow such a disgraceful act.
Of course fans have heard this sort of promise before about characters who are written out.
They’ve claimed they will try and ‘bring him back’ in one way or another. Maybe.
“Of course fans have heard this sort of promise before about characters who are written out. Sadly, often they are only seen once or twice before being forgotten entirely.”We can’t let that happen. We can’t just accept and hang onto such empty promises. Our actions make a difference!
Carson Beckett depends on you. He depends on us all.
And let’s not forget what our good doctor has taught us:
Beckett: Anything’s possible if you’re willing to give it a go. (s1.ep7)Whatever your approach may be… Whatever the selfless action in hopes to save him… Do it with all your might.
Thank you all, every one of you.. And good luck.
Save Carson Beckett Petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Save_Carson_Beckett_SGA/index.htmlEmail To:
SciFiWeekly@SciFi.comWrite with a vengeance!!
***MODERATOR NOTE: SORRY! Had to remove addresses because comment was too long, they can be found on the addresses section of this site***
 Good luck to you, one and all!
Luvz and support,
Julie
JulieNGMany great thanks to:
The site of SaveCarsonBeckett.com, for doing what’s right.
And every single one of you out there reading these and voicing your opinions and making a difference!
Written by: Julianne N. G. (JulieNG)
on: Tuesday, Feb 13th
Finished by: 12:30 am.
Can’t you spare just that much time for Beckett & Weir?
=) -
Comment by Becca | 13.Feb.07 @ 4:43 pm
Paul (Carson) had made a significant contribution to the show, and in some ways are impossible to explain. He was-and is- indeed, the ‘Heart’ of Atlantis. He plays his character so well, and his character reflects on his personality. He is a kind, caring person, who has feelings, and by killing him off the show, basically kicking him out of Atlantis just to “shake things up”? I think that is the most cruel thing you can do to a person who loves and enjoys doing his job so much. Paul deserves to be treated better, and he deserves to be let back into Atlantis. The producers have made an extremely fatal mistake, but if they act now and bring him back, that would indeed save the show. I can say that I literally cried when I watched ‘Sunday’. When you watch a show for so long, you become attached to certain characters, and Carson was one of them. I hope that some people(important people) actually read this, and all the other posts, and actually let the thought cross their minds that they might have made a mistake. If they just let this go, they are forfeiting the show. They need to hear the cries of the fans, and listen to their concerns! BRING CARSON BECKETT BACK! Without him, there is no Atlantis…
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Comment by Joy | 13.Feb.07 @ 6:02 pm
I wish they got rid of Dr. Weir, not Carson.
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 13.Feb.07 @ 7:44 pm
I wish them all be in Atlantis again.
Hey JulieNG! i haven’t seen your message in SCI-FI weekly. Would you mind to send there, or I’ll do it!
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Comment by JulieNG | 13.Feb.07 @ 10:34 pm
Sure thing! And thank you so much.
I’ll send it off when I can, but I do not get the magazine sadly, but do email me if it’s posted!
I really do hope this makes a significant difference.Best of luck to you all!
Julie -
Comment by JulieNG | 13.Feb.07 @ 10:37 pm
I know already for a fact that I (just today, which I wrote it this morning) emailed it to SciFiWeekly@SciFi.com.
Is this enough?
Thanks for suggesting I send it in, I’m greatful you liked it!Best wishes,
Julie -
Comment by JulieNG | 13.Feb.07 @ 10:42 pm
It was really aimed toward fans and trying to encourage writing and sending in letters because we really do make the difference needed.
All we need is each other, and our voices will be heard.
Thanks again, best of luck!
Julie -
Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 14.Feb.07 @ 12:20 am
eerrghhh… For a 3 weeks since I heard that Carson will be banished, I can’t do anything except reading this site and gateworld’s forum thread about saving Carson. And what is worse for me, that I can’t do anything to save him. I’m neither US nor Canada citizen, that’s why it will cost me tooo much to send real letters to TPTB. I’ve already sent 3 letters. 1 via my e-mail, 1 via this site’s help, 1 via HOTMAIL service that wasn’t printed…..
EEERGHHH…. BRING ME THE MULLIE…. I NEED TO CHECK MY AXE
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Comment by Danielle | 14.Feb.07 @ 9:08 am
I wonder if they realise that if TPTB annoy the fans too much and take away too many of our favoured characters then the fans won’t be around any more? We love SG1 and Atlantis but loyalty will only go so far, take out the ground beneath our feet and we will fall through.
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Comment by Raymond | 14.Feb.07 @ 8:12 pm
How could they do this ? idiotic people ! I wont buy anymore of the SGA DVD’s if Paul isnt allowed to come back, infact..i’ll never watch another episode of that show again !!!
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Comment by Lia | 15.Feb.07 @ 8:49 am
Untill they killed Carson it was my favourite show, now it’s that other Stargate show and I will never watch another episode agin. This includes both past and future episodes. I have given discs away and will never spend a cent on this franchise again.
If they bring him back, I will of course instantly empty all bank accounts, piggy banks and secret stashes of cash to regain all that I have lost.
So yes, we must all fight on, because if Daniel can come back so can Carson!
I may tend to over dramatise by going “puh, I spit on my ex favourite show”, but I feel betrayed, Carson was the everyman, the heart and the key to my love for “puh! my ex favourite show”.
Also I promise that I don’t rant like this in my letters, I stay calm and rational and not at all a scary obsessed fan
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Comment by Rubi | 15.Feb.07 @ 9:40 am
oh no! no! no!
Bring Him back!!
Carson was my favorite character!
it’s not fair! -
Comment by JulieNG | 15.Feb.07 @ 10:09 am
hehe, I feel the same.
We’re all in this together, and together we make the difference needed. I too have thought to stop watching… maybe season 4…. or.. well..
I really do love the show. Love it to bits, but this … this has gone too far.Now is when we need to put our foot down!!
They can’t do this to us!
They KNEW we loved Carson, and yet the decision meant nothing to them. They hardly even gave it too much thought, by the sound of it.
Just to shake things up a bit.
PAH!We can’t let him down now!
Keep writing!I figure one letter today is one more than yesterday. One tomorrow makes two so far. Another the next, and thus our voices unite!
xoxo
Julie -
Comment by Katrin | 15.Feb.07 @ 11:03 am
I think it was plainly unprofessional how they treated this whole affair. It was unfair to the actors - not only Paul McGillion but everyone else who enjoyed working with him (and a lot did!). It was unfair to us fans, too.
We did not get an official statement or an explanation as to why he had to die.
I am very sad.
Carson was an important character, he died and was not mentioned again (okay, once, but that’s not nearly enough, sorry… their friend died, our beloved Carson died… why not mention him more often? Why not show Rodney’s guilt and sorrow? This would have been so important to make the loss less pointless!).
I think they did a nice job, when Daniel died. It didn’t feel like he was gone too much. At least I felt that way. He was mentioned, they showed the characters sadness, he appeared again, there was even hope he might return (which he did).Carson dead.
That just makes no sense.Why couldn’t they bring Jewel Staite on, but not kill somebody else off? Was that really necessary? And of all of them Carson?
Carson, who was so popular he was made a main character?
I do understand that the emotional impact was a great one. Yes, it was. But only for ONE episode! ONE!
If they wanted to “shake things up”, why not DEAL with the loss of Carson? Why?I think we fans deserve to get more answers!
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Comment by bric | 15.Feb.07 @ 1:26 pm
That was a buch of BS “Shake things up” im insulted that they would think that we would be happy with them killing off one of the favoirte charaters from sga. So ive decide that im no longer watching Atlantis or buying the dvds because of the idiots in charge
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Yo.
Well everything has been said already. “Shake things up…”… well, that’s what they’ll get, but they’re seriosly going to hate it, I hope.
Pulling a Daniel - good phrase XD
There’re a lot of possibilities on not-so-cheesy return.
1st. Carson pulled a Daniel, yeah, but it actually was a masterplan of ancients opposed to those with the “NO INVOLVING” rule to contact someone. Carson was obviously the one with most chances to ascend rather than everyone else. So, basically, the Ancients somehow set off THAT device (not much involvement, went unnoticed) when someone’s there (obviously those greenheads compared to Rodney couldn’t do it all by themselves), and Carson, obviously again, would be near these bombs so it was a good chance to make him ascend.
[N.B. Probably they wanted for Rodney to ascend because he's the smartest one in means of tech, but couldn't do that --- I don't remember the episode's name actually T_T]
So the Ancients were gonna fill Carson in on what’s going on or something else and then let him descend without loss of memory — somehow. Then a lot of plots may be branched of it. (Actually a real lot, involving the fact that even the Ancients aren’t ideal beings - killing off so much other people in the same episode [Sunday])
2nd. Some kind of time-travel possibility, like the double-Weir episode. But - no idea what to do with the body T_T It could be a fake, of course, but how the hell would it be played in the scenario… No idea.
3rd. The bomb was in fact a rapid escape device which didn’t really explode but engulfed everything within the explosion radius and pulled away in another world/dimension/whatever. Again the same problem as with the second variant, but that could be solved somehow.
So there are numerous story possibilities to put Beckett back. Now all we have to do is to make the producers/SCIFI/whoever is responsible do it.
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Comment by Alex of Ealing | 16.Feb.07 @ 2:35 pm
Well, I haven’t watched any SG1 or Atlantis episodes since the “Sunday” episode. I just feel cheated and wanted to respond somehow, so gave up on two of my favorite shows. I refuse to watch a program whose creators display such idiotic cynisism and such blatant disregard for public opinion…
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Comment by The Gnome | 17.Feb.07 @ 12:53 pm
I almost died watching ‘Sunday’, I can’t believe they would “kill off” Beckett, especially the way they did. There was no foundation, no real reason for getting rid off him and no real reson for him to die the way he did. The show is now just worthless. A heartlass creation that allows the opinions of its viewers to fall on deaf ears. The creators should be ashamed off their stupidity and lack of compassion. There was no remorse shown at all, which makes it even worse.
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Comment by Dave | 18.Feb.07 @ 10:14 am
This is crap! I have been a long time fan of both shows and of the SCiFi channel but if the have no more respect for there people and there fans, I can find a new station to watch! Maybe we all need to stop watching the show so we can “Shake things up a bit” . This is the classic screw up people start to panic and they do something that takes years to fix, if they can at all.
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Comment by Vladimir Krasnoshekov | 18.Feb.07 @ 9:38 pm
Q: I NEED TO SEE MR. MALOZZI!
A: WHICH PART? -
Comment by manu | 19.Feb.07 @ 2:36 am
why have you killed carson ???
i’m a french fan and if sg sg1 has to end now ( i anderstand it because this season is really …. bad !!!) you don’t have to make disappear some actors of sga to put in some of sgs1 in the show !
find a way to save carson!! -
Comment by Wendy Lavender | 19.Feb.07 @ 2:55 am
This is where I add my “what a load of crap”….they did it to ‘Daniel’ and that went over like the proverbial bomb so they had to bring him back. Why the lads at the top have this obsession with killing off main characters is beyond belief, it just doesn’t work….leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the faithful……..the axing of Firefly is another soapbox………..
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Comment by John Aldridge | 19.Feb.07 @ 6:00 pm
What a ridiculous reason (”Shake things up’) to loose one of the best characters in the whole Stargate framchise!
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Comment by Rob | 19.Feb.07 @ 10:27 pm
I just saw the episode and while I can’t stand that Carson’s gone, he did go out spectacularly. It was quite a way to go, like Data in ST TNG.
Carson was humanity at its finest, maybe a bit of a martyr but still, he represented everything that we like to believe is good and virtuous about the human race.
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Comment by Oli | 20.Feb.07 @ 5:59 am
This is just sad…. I can’t understand why they killed him
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Comment by Jake Almond | 20.Feb.07 @ 12:56 pm
Well,
I just saw the episode. I must say I had no idea about any of this. When I got to the end of the episode I hadn’t quite accepted he had gone!
Surely, I thought, it’s a two parter? The next episode MUST say ‘last time on SGA’ and shows the funeral’?? Then some convenient sci-fi event occurs that saves the charactes?? Like time travel…or an alternate universe?To my dismay, I found this site. And am now baffled. I just tried watching the start of Episode 15 too and I just couldn’t! It just seemed too unfair to do so!!
The comments above this one say it all; there’s no need for me to repeat what’s been said. All I can say is my heart is in the same place for Paul McGillion.
Cheers
Jake
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Hey,
I would like to say that KILLING Dr. BECKETT
was a dumb idea.
There was a symatry of characters that added to the depth of the story lines and taking him out made the series even less enjoyable. I don’t know why you people love to kill the Dr’s but i hate it. We loved the Dr. in SG1 and now your killing off Paul from Atlantis. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! We love the show. We only need more depth the characters and a little more Techno stuff….THATS ALL. I know there’s a shakup to enhance ratings…..BUT YOUR MESSING WITH A GOOD THING!!! AHHHHHH~~~~!!!!!!!Enough said. Bring’em back!!!!
Tim B
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Pingback by Saving Carson Beckett » Blog Archive » "Sunday" Airs in UK: Welcome Carson Fans | 21.Feb.07 @ 1:00 pm
[...] It was not Paul’s choice to leave. As described here, he was shocked and saddened to be told he was being let go in order to “shake things up” on Atlantis. [...]
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Comment by SGA Fan | 21.Feb.07 @ 1:13 pm
Why……just……….why! Carson Beckett was a great character!!!! Frst SG-1 is cancelled!! now this!!!!
what is going on?
and “shake things up” i think this is going to have the opposite effect to what they inteneded, Atlantis wont be the same without Beckett…….i already felt sorry for him missing his fishing trip lol
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Comment by SGA Fan | 21.Feb.07 @ 1:15 pm
They could have at least ascended him!! i mean ok it would be a bit conveniant and very “Dr Daniel Jackson” Deux Ex Machina etc etc but c’mon why get rid of such a great character portraed by such a great actor??
I certainly hope Paul finds something as good as this to carry on his carrer
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Comment by Mandi from Scotland | 21.Feb.07 @ 2:29 pm
I knew Dr Beckett was going to die but to do it like this was totally unfair. To be burnt to a crisp? No dramatic death scene? Explosive tumours? The storyline was total rubbish and I would not have the Saltaire Cross(flag) draped across the coffin but the Lion Rampant(flag) which to me is the true flag of Scotland. Of course the writers had to milk the sympathy vote out of us by using a piper to play a funeral lament, shame on you writers. We want Carson Beckett back he brings realism to the show and an internationalistic flavour that will now be seriously lacking. Good luck to Paul McGillion in whatever he may do.
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Comment by Vladimir from Russia | 22.Feb.07 @ 2:04 am
How death can be fair? Huh? Death is absolutely unfair. Why it was neccessary to kill him? To Shake things up. To add realism. Carson was a “representative” of internationalism of expedition. He was great. But what about that, there were no russians in this expedition.
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Comment by neil | 22.Feb.07 @ 8:09 am
I am from england and it was a shock they killed the doc he was great different to the other actors but they all worked together and it made the show I am a great fan watched all but i think this will be a mistake BRING BACK DOC CARSON NOW!
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Comment by carol | 22.Feb.07 @ 4:54 pm
i am from scotland and feel very proud that our country had a caractor that apeared on this show. it is unusual for our country to get mentioned normally its just britain. he was a lovely caractor and will be missed. this is sci-fi you have the ability to get him back with a great story line.BRING BACK CARSON!
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Comment by Jennie | 23.Feb.07 @ 1:38 pm
I’ve watched Stargate Atlantis from the beginning and really love the characters as they have developed. My favourite character is Carson Beckett and I’m absolutely furious he’s been killed off for no other reason than ‘to shake things up’. What a great way to lose ratings….
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Comment by Angry as Hell | 23.Feb.07 @ 4:06 pm
This has to be a potential death nail for Atlantis, a senseless waste of a great character who provided the heart, sole and sense of humanity to the show. It is not to say that the other characters can not carry the show, but the scripts and acting will have to be improved now. Which if they did in the first place, would have negated any need for the summary senseless execution of Carson. The passing of a major character to boost ratings is the script strategy for the weak and worthy of a day time trash soap. Shame on the people that ordered it……. Now wave the wand and get him back!
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Comment by Choagy | 27.Feb.07 @ 10:27 am
Think on this folks.
Futurama, dropped and now apparently being resurrected next year 08 .
Family Guy dropped and then resurrected due in no small part to the fans of the show.
Now let us all hope that common sense prevails but sadly common sense and ringpieces with suits rarely appear in the same quotation.I myself love SG-Atlantis. However this “Shake things up ” logic ??????????????????????? is quite honestly staggeringly short sighted at the very best. Carson IS an integral and extremely important cast/crew member of the show and to kill him off in such a short sighted manner speaks volumes on the shows directors and nothing on his fine acting skills. yes I know we are not talking about Shakespeare or actors such as Olivier/Geilgud etc but we are talking of an actor who brought a charm, decency and at times humour to the show.
Shame on the directors.
Shame on the studio.
Shame on all the suit wearing ring pieces.I know it is a long shot but if Paul happens to read this then all I can say is you will be sadly missed mate.
Scots slang now Ye did no bad fur a Renfrew laddie son. Aw the best fae anither Jock mate
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Comment by M Low | 27.Feb.07 @ 1:04 pm
Oi! What is it about you Americans that love killing of us Scots?! We’ve hardly got anyone on tv as it is! Swines, bring back Carson or we will start spiking the whisky!
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Comment by Vladimir from Russia | 28.Feb.07 @ 12:28 am
Guys… It is no use to talk here. Who will hear you from the “producers” of SGA? Only the same guys like you will hear you. To ressurect Carson you have to tell your feelings to them - TPTB or SCIFI.
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Comment by Cindy | 02.Mar.07 @ 5:44 pm
Why does the Stargate shows always kill off their doctors? First SG-1 and now Atlantis. Carson Beckett added flavour to the Atlantis team. There are so many ways to shake up the show, but that wasn’t a smart one. The decision to write the character out of the show has disappointed millions of fans and that alone may cause what the “powers that be” is fearing all along. Bring Carson back. Atlantis needs him. The fans need him. Paul McGillion deserves to be reinstated. His chemistry with the other cast members was something too important to be taken for granted. Look at SG-1. It made the mistake of making too many changes. It messed with the formula. Now Atlantis is doing the same (too early in the game in my opinion). I know everything evolves, but allow the characters to evolve without killing them off. There are still so many paths Carson Beckett can take on Atlantis. Let us and him see where it takes him. We love him Producers of Atlantis, write him back in. Restore our faith in you, show us that you listen and care. We won’t disappoint you.
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Comment by Alex of Ealing | 11.Mar.07 @ 11:02 am
I think that Brad Wright, Rob Cooper, Mike Greenburg and the rest of the Gate’s production team haven’t done much to save the series from cancelation, they have been far too complacent. In later years I think that the quality of the writing has been increasingly deteriorating. There have been too many fillers and too many weak plots and this has been crippling the series in my opinion. I’m not sure of the exact number but I think that throughout the 10 years of the series there have been about 20 writers involved. However, this is a deceiving number. The vast majority of the writing has been split between by 5 people only, Rob Cooper, Paul Mullie, Brad Wright, Damian Kindler and Joseph Mallozzi. This is not good enough for a series spanning 10 years. I’ll say it again: They should have brought in fresh, talented writers on a regular basis, in order to keep the plots sharp. I personally think that this has been their biggest mistake. Also, they have shown a terrible lack of understanding in regard to with what their audience wants. Hastily killing-off popular cast members to “shake things up” show a production team in creative stagnation and running out of ideas fast. No wonder Sci-Fi pulled the plug. The Stargate saga has been decomposing for some time now and the corporate dogs over at Sci-Fi got a good sniff of the smell and did what comes naturally to them: They put it out of its misery and moved on to find a new moneymaker. Whether they will find a decent replacement remains to be seen…
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I’d like putting some extracts of this interview but I can’t find the magazine in shops in Paris (I’m french). I’d like using it to talk about it for a french fan club of sci-fi (which includes stargate fans) http://www.unificationfrance.com
thanks! -
Comment by Doug from Canada | 17.Mar.07 @ 8:32 pm
I just finished watching the episode Sunday, and feel like the guy that wasn’t let in on the joke.
How could these IDIOTS drop a character like Paul McGillion.
Do they think to talk to any real fans when they do this kind of stunt. I could have suggested a number of names they could have dropped instead. -
Comment by Daisy Young | 20.Mar.07 @ 2:20 am
This is so dam stupid getting rid of a key player like this is beyond belief. It is like getting rid of McCoy out of Star Trek, he was really the humour of the show, and I am indeed sorry now I bothered to buy year 1 and 2 just these past days.
I live in Australia and I have only just seen the episode it just left this empty place in my viewing of Atlantis. How could you do this to such a great actor, and a corner stone of this show.
I don’t think you understand how these kill off characters to get ratings effects us. They did this in Hercules with Iola’s. and I have to say it was the death Knell of the series.
Bring him back you have an open ended story with replicators he could so easily be one of these you have killed, and Bekett is still alive on their craft. Come on give the fans a break . very stupid move !!
Paul McGillion, has been treat badly but above all so have his fans.
Daisy Young (70)
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Comment by T. D. R. | 24.Mar.07 @ 10:54 am
Let me start by saying, I am trying really hard to stay with Atlantis. From the start, the show has been “adrift in the sheltered harbor of my patience” (to quote Mr. Bubbles from Lilo & Stitch). In the beginning it had a great amount of energy and enthusiasm given the great stock from which it came (Stargate SG-1). However, in the last few years it has consistently fallen short of my expectations. The characters were poorly grounded (i.e. given under-articulated histories) and inadequately developed on a psycho-emotional level. You only get good character development from a quality understanding of human psychology and the human condition. Then you have to express that understanding in GOOD WRITING. SG Atlantis has been desperately lacking in the area of good character development/writing. Many have said this on the board but I really felt the need to contribute to that sentiment!!!
That being said, killing characters in not a solution!! How many must fall before they realize that what they need is creative and connected writers who understand the reasons that people become addicted to science fiction in the first place. Plots are important because they keep the context interesting but the characters are the heart and soul of any science fiction show. At the end of the day, we the audience understand the various plot elements through their eyes and vice versa. Through that process the audience comes to understand the characters and their circumstance, and maybe a little bit about ourselves and the world we live in.
The producers have already terminated Ford and Beckett; now I hear Weir is going too. When will it stop! When will they realize that “shaking things up†by killing and replacing characters is not a solution? We as fans are NOT stupid. If the writing continues to be poor, we will notice and we will STOP WATCHING. They have precious few episodes to make this right with me. After that, I am happy to trash this show because it has always been on thin ice with me. There is nothing I hate more than seeing the potential in something and suffering through week after week of its failure!!
SAVE CARSON. SAVE ATLANTIS.
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Comment by Exangeline | 02.Apr.07 @ 2:11 pm
Hey, guys. I’m an Aussie. We’ve only just gotten Season Two on DVD and it’s still playing on the Television, so we are faaaaar away from where you guys were at.
But, inevitably, my friends and I have found this website. Also, obviously, we are one of the millions of groups that have bonded with Paul McGillion’s character, Carson Beckett.
I have a couple things to say.
Firstly, I am one of the millions appauled by just the NEWS of Carson Beckett’s death. He was so cuddly and big-brotherly to each and every one of the Stargate Atlantis crew. I can’t imagine how hard it would be for all the actors and even the directors to let him go, let alone the fans.
However, I believe that the directors are smart enough to know the long-term effects of his death and are, at least, either going to find a way for him to come back or provide closure into where he’s headed next.
It was said in one of the interviews that he will NOT be coming back the way Daniel did, if any, by means of acension, which makes one wonder - if they’re ready to post that, then what will happen?
These rumors about poor Torri and Elizabeth Weir going out have rattled me as well. Albeit a lot of us have different opinions on the characters, I personaly would hate to see any of them go, and I still feel sorry for poor Aiden Ford. He was a good kid, and a budding character who deserved to be let down lightly.
There is one thing that I don’t particularly agree on with most people’s statements - Stopping the viewing of the show. Of course, my opinion might change in Season Three when I finally get to watch it, but if we are true fans, we’ll stick around just to see what happens.
Remember, it took Daniel a whole season to come back, of which there was a replacement, so keep the ratings up till Season Five and see if they replace Doctor Beckett.
If not, then by all means quit the watching. But I’m gonna stick around till then, because Stargate Atlantis needs us, as does Carson and Paul and Torri and Elizabeth and anyone else they want to kill off next.
I believe Brad and Martin and all the other producers and writers are smart enough to know when to draw the line in character death, so I do have faith in them.
Nonetheless:
SAVE CARSON BECKETT.
SAVE STARGATE ATLANTIS.And a message to Paul McGillion from the SGA fans from the land down under:
“Don’t worry, Paul, Australia has your back.”
Love you guys. Keep it all strong.
Exangeline. -
Comment by jayme from texas | 02.Jun.07 @ 7:14 am
He made the show entertaining to watch…
bring him back
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Comment by brad | 02.Jun.07 @ 9:08 pm
carson was one of my favorite characters,he had a depth and deminsion to the show,that made it more down to earth and pleasurable to watch!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe they can grab a carson from an alternate universe and bring him back to the show!!!!!!!!! he is really needed and loved to round out the cast!!!!!!!!! it just makes me think of a line that will pledgerize from south park,,,, THE BASTARDS THEY KILLED CARSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
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Comment by MONICA | 02.Jun.07 @ 9:13 pm
I think this is bullshit!!!!!!!!! who kills off a good guy. Now i don’t think i want to watch this show anymore,,,, crap utter crap,,,, who writes this show, i could do a better job.,,,, there were seens that were shit and of all the things they came up with this crap!!!!!!!!!!! a dog could do better!!!!!! i really loved the show and i am so discusted, now i need to find something else to watch!!!!!!! they should bring him back from another alternate universe that would be cool,,,,, but just like the guy said in the forum,,, the bastards they killed carson….. hope someone will come to there senses,,,, please
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Comment by LaTanya | 06.Jun.07 @ 12:14 am
I am so hurt that Carson will no longer be on SGA. I had to hold back my tears as they stepped through the gate. I had no idea that was comming. Also, I had no idea the Janet would released from SG1. The doctors have an important role on the show. Surely, they will be greatly missed. It will take a strong replacement for Carson. There is still an empty void on SG1 since Janet was written out of the show. I truely hope there is a way he can be returned Cast. Save Carson! Save the Expedition!
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Comment by Jujubee | 13.Jun.07 @ 5:44 am
Carson was my favorite character. I feel betrayed. I refuse to accept that ridiculous episode. It’s as stupid as killing Wash in Serenity. Is that where the idea came from? I expected more originality from Atlantis. Jerks.
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I HAD HOPE THAT PAUL MCGILLION WAS LEAVING STARGATE ATLANTIS TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS; AND THAT WE WOULD SEE HIM ON A SPINOFF SINCE HIS CHARACTER COULD CARRY A SHOW BY HIMSELF. HOWEVER, I AM EXTREMELY UPSET THAT THEY DECIDED TO SHAKE UP THE SHOW THEY NEEDED TO GET RID OF CARSON. I CRIED AS THOUGH I HAD LOST A FAMILY MEMBER; IT WILL BE DIFFUCULT TO WATCH THE SHOW FROM NOW ON. THE SHOW HAS DEFINITELY LOST SOMETHING WITIH HIM NOT BEING THERE. I CALL THIS STUPID!!!!
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Comment by Andre | 31.Jul.07 @ 9:32 pm
I’m a fan from Mexico. I’ve been following the show from the very beginning and, to say the truth, SGA introduced me to the Stargate mythology. Hell i liked SGA before i did SG-1. When Paul was made part of the main cast i i was glad cause i was caught by this character. It took me off guard that explosion and took me almost until the coffin crossed the gate to accept that Becket was dead. I think this was the worst mistake the producers/writers have comitted And not only to have killed Becket but the way they did. At least he would died in some heroic way and not caught in an explosion. I hope they don’t have to regret it since Atlantis is one of the best sci fi sagas.
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Comment by Morte | 07.Aug.07 @ 8:13 pm
‘killing off’ a character as an excuse to ’shake things up’ is nothing but a cheap attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator audience - network executives tell the producers to get more ratings, the producers tell the writers to ‘make it happen’, and we’re left with the half-baked, half-arsed result.
That’s right people, they’re not even trying to cater for the loyal fans, they are appealing to the base instincts of a swinging voter - the kind of viewer who enjoys the sickening artificial melodrama of shows like Springer and ‘reality tv’. Basically - the family of Joe Bloggs who posesses a ratings box. And what say do people in other countries have? None - this stuff doesn’t get to places like Australia until maybe 12 months after it is shown on U.S. screens.
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Comment by Phil Moon | 21.Aug.07 @ 1:57 am
I can understand the reaction of the fans that see Dr. Beckett as an important part of the show, but if you judged the show by the comments here, Stargate: Atlantis should be called The Paul McGillion Show.
I liked Beckett, and was as shocked as everyone else by his being killed off, but Atlantis is an ensomble show, and there are seven other main characters played by seven other actors that are all hoping to continue to make a living doing this show.
Sure, write the producers, the studio, raise money for ads in Veriety, or whatever, but if you go so far as lowering its viewership, or chasing off sponsors, then there won’t be a show to watch, and there are plenty of good actors and characters on this show still.
I look forward to Amanda Tapping coming on board, and Jewel Staite is a solid actor who, given a chance, will bring her own heart to the show.
Paul is a fine actor. Beckett was a great character, but the show is not suddenly trash because both are gone from the production. This industry is a hard one to get into, and a harsh one at times, but decisions are made and actions taken, and just like in the real world, sometimes you just have to accept that things change.
I’ll be glad to see Beckett come back (if they can do it without a Dallas like moment), but if he doesn’t, I will continue to watch the show for the other characters that make it worth watching.
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Comment by Ken | 05.Oct.07 @ 10:08 am
I agree with the comment that these guy’s didn’t know what they were doing. Because… If they did, SG1 would still be around. It Died because of similar reasons. This show will too if you don’t wake up and hire back Paul and Torri.
Geee! What would have happened if they Killed William Shatner of of ST. Would the show have gone on to what is has become today. No way!
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Comment by Andrew | 06.Feb.08 @ 10:21 pm
IM SO PISSED! I WANT BECKETT BACK NOW! I CANNOT BELEIVE THEY DID THAT CRAP! HE WAS PERFECT FOR HIS PART! UGH! :(:( im so sad
they better bring him back in season 5! im willing to do w/e i can! and i will continue to do what i can to make that happen! -
Comment by Andrei Bulat | 03.Jun.08 @ 1:40 pm
Sorry for my bad english. In romania we talk better Russian.
I would like to say few word.
For me Sga ended with SUNDAY, i wont continue to watch anymore
It is a shame how they kill Carson, and i can take it almost like an insult. I wont continue anymore to watch SGA.
For mee this was the end, what is much is much.
Salute with respect, i hope that erson who decide ti kill carson, to feel the payn much more than a great actor feel it with no reason.
I still cant belive it
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