SCI FI PI

After our first day on The Daedalus set of Stargate:Atlantis to chat with the stars of the show and to talk to creator Brad Wright and star Ben Browder about Stargate:Continuum, it comes as a bit of a shock that the next day was even better - walking into the gate room of Atlantis Base was something of a Sci Fi fan's dream - but it's not just the context of being there - it's the sheer physicality. It's a massive set.

The workmanship is astounding - the railings that Shepherd and co look down on before the next off-world visit are all 'don't move if you bang it with your fist safe as any bridge' solid metal, and the up close touches of the keyboards, offices and medical bays are a sight to behold.

The Stargate itself is surprisingly well made - it is smooth to the touch, and very, very solid, designs and moulding intricate and precise. The Atlantean symbols are all made with lights beneath the surface and look just as real to the naked eye as they do on television.

Walking through (for Season 5) Woolsey's office and you're struck by the 'what you see is what you get' nature of the set. We also had a look in his desk drawer (as you would!).

Yes there are moveable walls, and famous spots that are quite cunning mixes of set and green screen, and the same real estate used for multiple purposes, but the for the most part, you could pretty much move in and live in it.

We also managed to sneak into Cheyenne Mountain - that's right, the original gate room still exists, as do the offices of Generals Hammond, Landry and O'Neill. The control room still has all its buttons in the right place - including the hand-print identifier.

More info to come on who we spoke to and just what went down - and what's to come in the Stargate universe (ahem) soon. In the meantime, here's some more up close and touchable photos from the iconic set.

From what the cast and crew have said, (and what we saw at the one and only screening of Contniuum) It looks like the wait for the release Season 4 Atlantis and Continuum in a few months will be worth it.

As will Season 5!

Scoops to come - including one about Teyla, and what kind of preparations are going into the 100th episode of Atlantis.




The Wraith Queen's throne - soft and comfy. Her lair - covered in oogy latex, soft to the touch.



Concrete floors with red and green lines lead up to... even when you're a foot away, it still looks real.



Where's Gary Jones when you need him? Still can't get Chevron 7 to encode!



The Atlantis Stargate - a testament to the art of set building.