From Gateworld:
Shanks: Season Nine reinvents Stargate
Season Nine of Stargate SG-1 is reinventing the show's formula, according to actor Michael Shanks. In an interview with Stargate SG-1: The Official Magazine, Shanks talked about his excitement over the new season, and his new fellow cast members.
"I wouldn't have signed up for it if it wasn't exciting," Shanks said. "The idea of just flogging the dead horse ... There are a couple of things in my life that I hate. Being told what to do, ultimatums, and outstaying my welcome. I don't do stuff just to do it. I do it because I see a future in it, a light at the end of the tunnel, and that there's something that we're reaching for, rather than an end that we're grinding to.
"That's why I embrace the changes so much. I look at it as if we're reinventing the formula."
With the departure of Richard Dean Anderson this year and the birth of Amanda Tapping's child in March, SG-1 sought new actors to introduce to the show's mix. Shanks was one of the last to know about the casting of Ben Browder (Farscape). "I had no clue," he said. "I found out by reading it on the Internet. Ben has a good reputation. We had a couple of conversations about our own approaches and sensibilities in our work, and we seem to be on the same page.
"I certainly think that we're not just inheriting a good sci-fi draw -- as the executives like to put it -- but I think we're [also] getting a good actor on board who seems to have a firm idea about what's good and what's not."
The first six episodes of the new season will also feature Claudia Black, who reprises her role of Vala from last season's "Prometheus Unbound." "I understood that we were talking to Claudia about reinvigorating her character, and I thought they were going to go in that direction," Shanks said. "I hope we get the chance to reprise the dynamic we found in 'Prometheus Unbound,' which was my favorite episode of the last couple of years. We had such a good time working with each other ... And when I watched it, I actually found myself laughing out loud!"
Could a guest role on Stargate Atlantis be in the cards for the veteran SG-1 actor? Shanks certainly hopes so. "I'd love to zip over to Atlantis, take a peek at their world for a little bit, and have Daniel's reaction to all the different semantics of that series. Just a two-parter where he can poke his head in and go, 'Wow, this is so cool!' and then get the hell out!"
Look for Issue #4 of Stargate SG-1: The Official Magazine on newsstands now! The ninth season of Stargate SG-1 premieres July 15 on The SCI FI Channel in the U.S.
Shanks: Season Nine reinvents Stargate
