Exclusive: Stargate Universe has a “gritty reality”

SciFiNow recently spoke to Stargate Universe producer John G Lenic about the show, its tone, and what we can expect from the first handful of episodes, leading him to tell us that the show has a directorial style much like a reality television show.

“What makes this such a fantastic show to work on is its gritty reality,” he claims. “The way we’re shooting it is like a ride-along, just as you would see in a reality series or documentary. There’s also a real sense of character, structure, development and really finding out what these characters have to offer and where they’re going, and for me, that is such an important thing that is often lacking in TV these days.” The idea of character being paramount is something that we’ve heard about the new series practically from its inception, although while it will be different, familiar elements from the previous outings will be apparent to longterm fans. “We still have the action and aliens and all the elements that made the other shows so successful,” Lenic says. “But this one is set apart because we really delve into the characters and where they’re coming from, and their personal dilemmas and how they all interact with each other, which I don’t think was done as much on the other two series.”

Clashing egos aside however, the problems facing the unwilling crew of the Destiny will be much more pressing than making nice with one another: “In the first six to seven episodes,” hints Lenic, “we’re exploring these people being stranded on this ship and having to survive without anything, so it’s all about discovery and finding the necessary elements needed to survive: water, air, light, food. All of that stuff plays very heavy in those early episodes, as well as discovering the internal conflicts between these stranded characters who have never really met before, who are now on this ship together. It’s a lot to explore in a short amount of time.”

Stargate Universe will premiere on the newly-rebranded Syfy Channel in October in the United States. For our exhaustive season preview, featuring new images from upcoming shows and exclusive interviews, pick up a copy of SciFiNow issue 31, on sale from all good newsagents or the Imagine eShop on 5 August 2008.