This article does not contain a Trivia section |
m →Reception: typo |
||
(2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 34: | Line 34: | ||
On Jack O'Neill's desk is a letter of Resignation. As the camera zooms in we see it ending with: "Never Mind". |
On Jack O'Neill's desk is a letter of Resignation. As the camera zooms in we see it ending with: "Never Mind". |
||
== |
==Production== |
||
* The bald gate technician at the end working where Walter usually does, seen when Col. Carter and SG-1 are coming through the Gate, is [[Pierre Bernard (comedian)|Pierre Bernard]], a graphics designer for the ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' show. He got the cameo on SG-1 after a [[Pierre Bernard (comedian)#Stargate SG-1|rant]] on Late Night where he said the show was better without Daniel Jackson. The Stargate people saw it and offered him the cameo. They named his character "O'Brien" as a [[tongue-in-cheek]] reference. A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of his part was later shown during the summer on Late Night. |
|||
[[Peter Woeste]] directed this episode. [[Andy Mikita]] did second unit for the planet scenes, which were filmed in Tynehead Park in [[Vancouver]]. As Vancouver is still getting developed, Tynehead Park is one the few locations where the ''SG-1'' team can still film. This episode was shot in seven days over a period of four weeks because of Richard Dean Anderson's availability, who in Season 8 only worked 3.5 days out of 5 working days a week. This episode was shot as the seventh out of the 20 episodes of Season 8. The last scene that was filmed took place in the sleeping quarters of O'Neill. Richard Anderson was about to catch his flight home to [[Los Angeles]], so this scene was shot in no more than two takes.<ref name=ac_pw_jl>Director [[Peter Woeste]] and production manager [[John Lenic]] in the audio commentary for "Zero Hour".</ref> |
|||
⚫ | |||
The idea for this episode came from the writers wondering for years, "What does Hammond do while SG-1 is away? How does he spend his days?" All scenes in O'Neill's office served as examples for minor (bunting and lunch buffet) or major problems (emergencies and threats) in his life as a general. The working title of this episode was "A Day in the Life of General O'Neill", but writer [[Robert C. Cooper]] felt "Zero Hour" would be more appropriate. "Zero Hour" refers to the President's visit at the end of the episode.<ref name=ac_pw_jl /><ref name=jm_making>{{cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s8/making/804.shtml |title=In the making: Zero Hour - By Joseph Mallozzi |publisher=gateworld.net |accessdate=2007-10-18}}</ref> |
|||
The idea for the plants comes from [[Brad Wright]], who in Season 4 had the notion of the SG being overrun with plant life and the gate being literally buried under foliage run amok. To not interrupt the shooting process, the set was decorated with various plants and vines overnight by Dave Lewis and his crew. Some plants were plastic, but for the torching scenes, real plants were used to not burn the whole set. Everything was sprayed to be flame retardant.<ref name=ac_pw_jl /><ref name=jm_making /><ref>[[TV Zone]] Special issue #S58, page 26-27.</ref> |
|||
"Zero Hour" was a so-called bottle show, taking place mostly on standing sets to help save money. The SGC served as the set for this episode. The office of Gilmore, O'Neill's aid, was especially build on the standing set for this episode and is usually not there. Dr. Lee's lab was filmed in the same room as Carter's lab. "Zero Hour" is also the last episode to have CRT monitors in the briefing room and the control room. The names on the lockers, "B. Brochaska" and "M. Davidson", are in fact the names of ''Sg-1'''s publicist and a set decorator. The image of Saturn that hung in the alien's room usually hangs in the production office. [[Jim Menard]] as the director of photography was responsible for the green lighting when the emergency lighting goes off. Depth was achieved by using differently-colored lights in the control room and near the gate.<ref name=ac_pw_jl /> |
|||
"Zero Hour" featured several guest stars. [[David Kaufman (actor)|David Kaufman]] was brought in from [[Los Angeles]] to play the part of Mark Gilmor, the aid to General O'Neill, who is introduced as a [[red herring]] to the story. [[Cliff Simon]] as Ba'al was also flown in from L.A., and most of his scenes were shot against green-screen in the gateroom for a "hologram feel" within a day. Bill Doe, who played Dr. Lee, was doing theater work in Vancouver during the shoot of this episode, the producers needed to schedule around his availability.<ref name=ac_pw_jl /> |
|||
[[Gary Jones (actor)|Gary Jones]], an ''SG-1'' semi-regular technician who sported the name "Norman Davis" on his uniform for years, received a new name in this episode: "Walter Harriman". In the episode "2010", O'Neill had referred to him as "Walter". Simply renaming the character to "Walter Davis" did not clear, so he was renamed to "Walter Harriman" after Hammond had called him "Airman" (sounding like "Harriman") in the pilot episode.<ref>''Stargate SG-1 Season 10 DVD featurette "Life as a Tech with Gary Jones".</ref> [[Joseph Mallozzi]] explained the resulting incongruity as that Harriman is Walter's married name.<ref name=jm_making /> One scene however featured [[Pierre Bernard (comedian)|Pierre Bernard]] as the technician. Bernard is a graphics designer for the [[NBC]] show ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and played the bald gate technician at the end working instead of Walter when Col. Carter and SG-1 are coming through the Gate. He got the cameo on SG-1 after a [[Pierre Bernard (comedian)#Stargate SG-1|rant]] on Late Night where he said the show was better without Daniel Jackson. The Stargate people saw it and offered him the cameo. They named his character "O'Brien" as a [[tongue-in-cheek]] reference. His character is a sort of crosspromotion between NBC and the NBC-owned Sci Fi Channel that ''Stargate SG-1'' airs on.<ref name=ac_pw_jl /><ref name=jm_making /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/pierre_bernard_01.htm |title=Interview with Pierre Bernard Jr. |publisher=thescifiworld.net |date=[[July 17]], [[2006]] |accessdate=2007-10-18}}</ref> A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of his part was later shown during the summer on Late Night. |
|||
==Reception== |
|||
The first run of "Zero Hour" on SciFi achieved a 2.2 Household rating, which equals about 2,950,000 viewers. Tied with "Icon", this marked the sixth-highest rating for any Season 8 episode of ''Stargate SG-1''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s8/ratings.shtml |title=Ratings - Sg-1 - Season 8 |publisher=gateworld.net |accessdate=2007-10-18}}</ref> |
|||
[[TV Guide]] called the plant threat "a nice change" but regretted that it was only a red herring for a later plot revelation. SG-1 bringing the plants to the SGC at all was considered irritating, as the "obvious move [to build a secure lab on an unhabited planet] doesn't make for such good drama." O'Neill acting as the new leader made "the Gou'uld threat [...] a laugh" and "an amazing change from the events from the series' early days" if even O'Neill does not take this race seriously. The actual "zero hour" plot around the harassed O'Neill was considered "a nice touch".<ref>[[TV Zone]] Issue #180, page 79.</ref> |
|||
{{sect-stub}} |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{reflist}} |
|||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
⚫ | |||
* [http://stargatesg1.com/SeasonEight Official ''Stargate SG-1'' site]. [[MGM]]. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires [[Macromedia Flash|Flash]]. <!-- There is a synopsis of the episode in there, but it cannot be linked to directly to our knowledge. Though the URL above contains links to the rest of the site (which is Flash), it in itself is not Flash; hence this link is in accordance with WP:EL. Even if it were, it is acceptable because it is the official Stargate site and is being used as a reference. --> |
* [http://stargatesg1.com/SeasonEight Official ''Stargate SG-1'' site]. [[MGM]]. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires [[Macromedia Flash|Flash]]. <!-- There is a synopsis of the episode in there, but it cannot be linked to directly to our knowledge. Though the URL above contains links to the rest of the site (which is Flash), it in itself is not Flash; hence this link is in accordance with WP:EL. Even if it were, it is acceptable because it is the official Stargate site and is being used as a reference. --> |
||
* {{cite web |
* {{cite web |
Revision as of 17:50, 19 October 2007
"Zero Hour (Stargate SG-1)" |
---|
"Zero Hour" is an episode from Season 8 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.
Plot
General O'Neill arrives at Stargate Command in the morning and is greeted by Walter Harriman, who informs him about his schedule. After shortly talking to a man about the security of the base, O'Neill enters his office where he is greeted by a man named Mark Gilmor. Harriman then introduces Gilmor as the General's new administrative aide and after some further introducing Harriman shows Gilmor his office. From there Gilmor makes a strange call telling someone that he is in position and that "he" (O'Neill) does not suspect a thing.
Later O'Neill talks with Harriman about the bunting for the President's visit when suddenly General Hammond calls. After talking with him O'Neill meets up with SG-1. Daniel tells him that they found a planet which formerly belonged to Anubis' territory from which Ba'al doesn't know and they hope to find there something interesting. However they have to wait till tomorrow, much to Carter's disappointment.
Afterwards O'Neill meets Dr. Lee, who shows him an alien plant that grows very quick. However O'Neill is not impressed. Next he is informed by Major Davis about the Amrans, visitors from another world with whom they want to start trade agreements, who however quarrel the whole time. Thus O'Neill shows them a room in which the two can stay but then locks the two delegates in it, much to their anger. After all this O'Neill starts to write a letter to Hammond.
On the next morning O'Neill is greeted by Gilmor, who informs him about the latest happenings. Afterwards he says goodbye to SG-1, who go on the mission to Anubis planet. There, while SG-3 guards the Stargate, SG-1 looks around and suddenly they are transported away by a Ring Transporter. Meanwhile at the gate an Al'kesh flies over. Afterwards Col. Reynolds reports back to SGC about this but even with another search troop they don't find SG-1. Meanwhile at SGC the plant of Dr. Lee has started to grow extremely quick and now covers many areas. Later SG-3 returns when suddenly Ba'al contacts them and tells O'Neill he has SG-1 and wants to exchange them against Camulus.
On the next day O'Neill is again informed by Gilmor about the latest happenings and after talking to Col. Reynolds about the exchange he talks to Camulus in his cell. Because Camulus doesn't give him anything he threatens to send him through the gate. Afterwards Camulus tells him about an Ancient device he once found and so O'Neill sends a team to the planet, who brings back a ZPM. Suddenly the electricity fails which is caused by the plant and which prevents them from dialing out. Meanwhile Ba'al contacts them but O'Neill simply mocks him, which makes the System Lord angry. Dr. Lee in the meantime has found out how to destroy the alien plant and is able to completely destroy it, which brings all systems back online.
Later O'Neill wants to send Camulus through the gate but then stops because Dr. Lee shows him that the ZPM was manipulated and now is a powerful bomb. O'Neill confronts Camulus about this and the former System Lord confesses that he manipulated the ZPM. Afterwards O'Neill allows him to go through the gate with the tampered ZPM, with which he will kill Ba'al. However Ba'al doesn't send back SG-1.
Later O'Neill continues to write the letter for General Hammond and later is called in the gate room, where all SG teams tell him that they trust him and will do what he wants. He thanks them and wants to leave the base, when suddenly the gate is activated. It is SG-1 who is attacked by Jaffa and who reveal to him that they weren't captured by Ba'al but instead were trapped in Anubis secret base. O'Neill then allows them to come through the gate. However they inform him that they didn't find anything valuable in the base.
In the end O'Neill talks with Carter, who informs him that the tainted ZPM could be used as a powerful weapon but O'Neill then reveals to her that he gave Camulus the dead ZPM which they found first. Later Gilmor informs O'Neill that the President has arrived and also tells the General that he was ordered by the President to look over him. However O'Neill reveals that Hammond already informed him, although he wasn't supposed to. Gilmor then tells him that he respects him and they both leave to greet the President.
On Jack O'Neill's desk is a letter of Resignation. As the camera zooms in we see it ending with: "Never Mind".
Production
Peter Woeste directed this episode. Andy Mikita did second unit for the planet scenes, which were filmed in Tynehead Park in Vancouver. As Vancouver is still getting developed, Tynehead Park is one the few locations where the SG-1 team can still film. This episode was shot in seven days over a period of four weeks because of Richard Dean Anderson's availability, who in Season 8 only worked 3.5 days out of 5 working days a week. This episode was shot as the seventh out of the 20 episodes of Season 8. The last scene that was filmed took place in the sleeping quarters of O'Neill. Richard Anderson was about to catch his flight home to Los Angeles, so this scene was shot in no more than two takes.[1]
The idea for this episode came from the writers wondering for years, "What does Hammond do while SG-1 is away? How does he spend his days?" All scenes in O'Neill's office served as examples for minor (bunting and lunch buffet) or major problems (emergencies and threats) in his life as a general. The working title of this episode was "A Day in the Life of General O'Neill", but writer Robert C. Cooper felt "Zero Hour" would be more appropriate. "Zero Hour" refers to the President's visit at the end of the episode.[1][2]
The idea for the plants comes from Brad Wright, who in Season 4 had the notion of the SG being overrun with plant life and the gate being literally buried under foliage run amok. To not interrupt the shooting process, the set was decorated with various plants and vines overnight by Dave Lewis and his crew. Some plants were plastic, but for the torching scenes, real plants were used to not burn the whole set. Everything was sprayed to be flame retardant.[1][2][3]
"Zero Hour" was a so-called bottle show, taking place mostly on standing sets to help save money. The SGC served as the set for this episode. The office of Gilmore, O'Neill's aid, was especially build on the standing set for this episode and is usually not there. Dr. Lee's lab was filmed in the same room as Carter's lab. "Zero Hour" is also the last episode to have CRT monitors in the briefing room and the control room. The names on the lockers, "B. Brochaska" and "M. Davidson", are in fact the names of Sg-1's publicist and a set decorator. The image of Saturn that hung in the alien's room usually hangs in the production office. Jim Menard as the director of photography was responsible for the green lighting when the emergency lighting goes off. Depth was achieved by using differently-colored lights in the control room and near the gate.[1]
"Zero Hour" featured several guest stars. David Kaufman was brought in from Los Angeles to play the part of Mark Gilmor, the aid to General O'Neill, who is introduced as a red herring to the story. Cliff Simon as Ba'al was also flown in from L.A., and most of his scenes were shot against green-screen in the gateroom for a "hologram feel" within a day. Bill Doe, who played Dr. Lee, was doing theater work in Vancouver during the shoot of this episode, the producers needed to schedule around his availability.[1]
Gary Jones, an SG-1 semi-regular technician who sported the name "Norman Davis" on his uniform for years, received a new name in this episode: "Walter Harriman". In the episode "2010", O'Neill had referred to him as "Walter". Simply renaming the character to "Walter Davis" did not clear, so he was renamed to "Walter Harriman" after Hammond had called him "Airman" (sounding like "Harriman") in the pilot episode.[4] Joseph Mallozzi explained the resulting incongruity as that Harriman is Walter's married name.[2] One scene however featured Pierre Bernard as the technician. Bernard is a graphics designer for the NBC show Late Night with Conan O'Brien and played the bald gate technician at the end working instead of Walter when Col. Carter and SG-1 are coming through the Gate. He got the cameo on SG-1 after a rant on Late Night where he said the show was better without Daniel Jackson. The Stargate people saw it and offered him the cameo. They named his character "O'Brien" as a tongue-in-cheek reference. His character is a sort of crosspromotion between NBC and the NBC-owned Sci Fi Channel that Stargate SG-1 airs on.[1][2][5] A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of his part was later shown during the summer on Late Night.
Reception
The first run of "Zero Hour" on SciFi achieved a 2.2 Household rating, which equals about 2,950,000 viewers. Tied with "Icon", this marked the sixth-highest rating for any Season 8 episode of Stargate SG-1.[6]
TV Guide called the plant threat "a nice change" but regretted that it was only a red herring for a later plot revelation. SG-1 bringing the plants to the SGC at all was considered irritating, as the "obvious move [to build a secure lab on an unhabited planet] doesn't make for such good drama." O'Neill acting as the new leader made "the Gou'uld threat [...] a laugh" and "an amazing change from the events from the series' early days" if even O'Neill does not take this race seriously. The actual "zero hour" plot around the harassed O'Neill was considered "a nice touch".[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Director Peter Woeste and production manager John Lenic in the audio commentary for "Zero Hour".
- ^ a b c d "In the making: Zero Hour - By Joseph Mallozzi". gateworld.net. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ TV Zone Special issue #S58, page 26-27.
- ^ Stargate SG-1 Season 10 DVD featurette "Life as a Tech with Gary Jones".
- ^ "Interview with Pierre Bernard Jr". thescifiworld.net. July 17, 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Ratings - Sg-1 - Season 8". gateworld.net. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ TV Zone Issue #180, page 79.
External links
- Official Stargate SG-1 site. MGM. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires Flash.
- "Screenplay" (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd. 2004-06-21. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - Episode guide from Skyone. Visited June 4, 2006.
- Summary from SciFi. Visited June 4, 2006. Requires Flash.
- Summary from GateWorld. Visited May 13, 2006.
- Review from GateWorld. Reviewed by Alli Snow. Visited May 13, 2006.
- In the Making from GateWorld. Joseph Mallozzi. Visited May 13, 2006.