Letters From Pegasus

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

Have a great holiday everyone - you've been a remarkable group. Have a healthy and happy 2012, and I hope to get out and see as many of you as I can. Love....

Orlando

2011-10-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks. Happy autumn.

It's been busy again, this time with Mark Sawer and the peeps at "Klapstock Syndrome" - another independent film I've been involved with. From what I saw on set and judging by the script it looks very promising indeed. Speaking of which, anyone out there seen Voodoo? (pic above)

Orlando this weekend - looking forward - and I'll FINALLY have copies of the Beast of Bottomless Lake with me on DVD. Finally. We had a screening up in Prince George last weekend and it went swimmingly. Long drive up though. But the autumn colours are beautiful.

There's late, and then there's...

2011-09-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Remember this blog? Anyone??...
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Its' author apparently has. --But not anymore!
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We now have this month's installment, thanks in no small part to the goading of a lot of you, about my delinquency. What can I say? I like being out of cell range...

Summer has been full of prowling vampires, toothy dragon-fish, an 86 foot tyrannosaurus, and a secret agent posting in Sydney. Busy.
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It was really great seeing many of you in Atlanta last week! Wasn't that fun? It's crazy town for the weekend. The flight out during the remnants of tropical storm Lee was as bouncy as I can remember. It's been such a nasty year for weather, hasn't it?... I hope you all are faring well despite the challenges.
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Happy September!

Atlanta! Orlando! Los Angeles! Australia! More Web Work! and 19 seconds

2011-06-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Howdy internet. How are you today? Oh that's good...

I just discovered my internet speeds have not nearly been as fast as I thought they were. I have been in download-speed prehistory and didn't even know it. No wonder netflix has been so slow...Now that has been rectified and and I'm looking forward to the taps being turned on. (In two to three business days, of course)

So that's why I haven't been posting. It takes ten minutes per letter for each post. I've been writing this for weeks...

Above picture from set on a show called futr.luv - coming soon to the high speed Internet near you. One of a handful of projects underway right now. Had to pass on on offer recently because of... Australia - coming up in three weeks time - Supanova in both Sydney and Perth. Two shows down under. And guess who else: Larry Hagman! J.R himself! So see you in a few, Australia!!

But wait - there's more. I'm finally able to report on some US shows which I've been trying to get to see more of you guys out there. And we have 'em! Three shows coming up: Dragon Con in Atlanta. on Labour Day!

Then Vulcon In Orlando on October 29-30 and then finally Los Angeles Nov 19-20 for Creation Con. It's been a long time coming - finally a chance to get out and meet some of you!

One last note: 19 seconds left in the game, 0-0 tie and then this...

Coast to Coast

2011-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Look out Canada. The one-weekend only, Coast-to-Coast Violent Torpedo of Zelenka Truth Tour, is coming to both sides of the Great White North. First stop: Vancouver (or should we say Burnaby) not more than two kilometres from the Bridge studios, that magical place where, all those years ago, it all began. This Thursday, I'll be at the Metrotown Hilton for Creation's Convention Stargate convention. Yahoo.
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nd then, through the magic of modern jet engine technology, we skip over all that in-between part of Canada, and arrive on the Rock, in St John's, for Newfounland's biggest and meanest Sci Fi convention: Sci Fi on the Rock, where, I'm assured, there will be plenty of Newfies everywhere you look.

Spring break in the desert last week: anyone recognize this place?

The Beast on TV, The First Shot Fired...

2011-03-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, Robin Dunne, and me, and a gun which is pulled by a horse, by six horses, actually, and very fast too. This canon was the first to fire in the Great War, and it has kept firing since, thanks to the King's Troop in London. Thank you for a great tour.

Lots coming up - watch for the web release of Mortal Kombat sometime in April. Another great shoot and a great new director. Once again, it doesn't end well for me...

And, believe it or not - the Beast of Bottomless Lake will finally have its television debut! Yes for reals. Ten airings in April over at Superchannel. It'll be nice to be in your living room again. What's a superchannel? Well it's like a regular TV channel, only a bit more super.

And, lest I forget, Newfoundland has waited its turn long enough, and now, finally, after years of Zelenka neglect, it will be the proud recipient of a first-time, bona fide, factory approved Dr Zelenka Visit (tm). Yes, it's true. I will be travelling to the province that invented the half-hour difference timezone this April - 16th and 17th as a matter of fact. Go Sci Fi on the Rock!!

And as if that wasn't enough, there will also be a one-day Zelenka Visit (tm) at Creation Con, right here in Westcoast-favouring BC. Stop in, Thursday, April 14th

It's not over. More news to come...

I mean Creation con...

2011-02-15T20:25:00.001-08:00

Right. Creation con, not Gatecon in April. Apologies to both. . .

Conventions in the U.S.

2011-02-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

My dear faithful followers. Hello. I'd normally have a picture or two of Ireland to upload but blogger is not friendly with the iPad, so I'll instead post some text art:

8)

That's me, happy in the pub. That's all the pictures I took. Ireland was lovely indeed, and thanks UCC and all you kids out there. The Beamish was good.

I don't know why it's been so tough to come out and visit all you in the good ol' U S of A, it just hasn't come together. So I'm going to ask you all for help, and I'll try it one more time: send me any contacts you can find for con organizers in your area. Send me their email, I'll write them, and insist that a con without Zelenka is not really a con at all. That way I may finally be able to get out there. I'll also take down the emails as soon as I get them so as not to encourage spider robots which occaisionally show up on this blog. With your help, we will end the Zelenka ban in the States and restore the world to its proper order.

Incidentally, for those of you coming to Gatecon here in Vancouver in April: advance warning, I will only be attending on Thursday, April 14, not the whole weekend. I'm not sure what they've put on their website, I just wanted you to know so plans can be made. Im not there the whole weekend, but Thursday will be a blast.

You guys are great. Hope to see you soon!

Oh Blogger Where Art Thou...

2011-01-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

How long is it between posts? A year on the calendar?...
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I know, I know. I chastise myself - it's been busy - I've been on working on an action adventure movie with Colin Firth and Chuck Norris. I've posted one of the stills from the dramatic conclusion above. This part is really cool.
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But seriously?, Anyone out there in Cork, Ireland? - Or how about London? Yes, no? If so, stop in to WarpCon at the University in Cork in Ireland and Wolf Events in London THIS WEEKEND ONLY!! SPECIAL INVENTORY BLOWOUT. I'll be there, McGillion will be there, and lots of Guiness will be there, yes?... Come out.

What?!!

2010-12-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

Stargate: Universe cancelled? Oh oh.

What's going on?...

Zelenka invented the iPad

2010-11-17T00:32:00.000-08:00

Steve Jobs gets all the credit. But he spent all those years watching Stargate Atlantis. He just reverse engineered my tablet and put it into a sleeker case. Pfff. Easy...

We needed something more durable on Lantia anyway.

The Beast of Bottomless Lake debuts at #1 in the charts!

2010-10-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

Now if I could only find that chart I could show you.

The Beast released in grand style at Saturday's VCon (thanks folks!) The buzz is growing and the little indie that could is beginning to pick up steam! The Express picked us up, then even the mothercorp! . Thanks especially to those of you who came up to see it! You know exactly who you are.

Fringe Season 3, Ep. 7

2010-09-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Fringe! Season three. This was a fun shoot. Do you ever watch the show? I Just watched most of season one to catch up with these folks. What a cool show.

On location, downtown eastside.

Watch where you park on set. And it's not the towing you need to be afraid of.
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And finally, a little Arcade Fire at the end of the day. If you get a chance to see them live it's well worth it. Check out this video!

Oh yeah, and...

2010-09-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

This. I forgot to mention this in my last post. London artist Martin Firrell. He has a compelling argument. Check out this - A great interview with excellent questions.
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Another almost today. Geez. How many times do you need to circle the lamp, Mr Moth...

Voodoo, Beasts, and Hot Chicks

2010-09-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Hi whole wide world. How's your Friday doing?
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Lookit this - cool huh - brand new little movie: Voodoo. And we're going to be at the Vancouver International Film Festival. That'll be cool. Might finally meet Terry David Mulligan. (He still around?..)
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There's also Vcon coming the first few days of October, which is also cool -and offers more than just a Convention - it'll be the first screening of The Beast in the Lower Mainland. Come on down. Ask Craig March why he keeps getting cast as donut eating cops. He'll be there in all his cuteness. If the shoe fits Craig...
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Other bits and pieces floating around: a web thingy called "Hot Chicks Who Kill People", which, apart from what the title subtly alludes to, is about an eighteenth century pastor who must come to terms with his.... aww, nevermind. It's something to do with stilettos. All manner of them. I'm not sure what it's going to be - ask Mike Davies about that. It was a fun shoot. What else? Um, BCLotto commercial tomorrow (big big big big big big or something like that), a bit of voice work (anyone guess which radio ad? - hint - it's on Vancouver radio stations right now), that, and a whole stack of dishes.
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Work work. Talk soon.

Tropical Europe

2010-08-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's hot. Too hot. So hot as a matter of fact, that you don't even have to cook your dinner before eating it. It's already pre-cooked!
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How hungry are you...?
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Back home after a month overseas. And I missed the Beast's grand entrance into the world. Drat! Sounds like it went of well despite my absence. Might be a lesson in there somewhere. Also missed Gatecon, so regrets to any of you who were coming out here to stop by - I'm going to try putting something together on this side of the Atlantic later this year - it's been too long, right?....
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It was tremendous seeing everyone again in Chotebor - thank you all for putting together such a fine show. You know who you are. And thanks for the souvenirs. And hey - also Budapest - you guys were great. Thanks for the barbecue!\

One more: anyone recognize this place?...

If you ever go, remember that you can canoe around the whole lake, despite the extremely low-clearance bridges. Just crouch down as low as you can go in the boat. Handy travel tip.

Hope your summers' are going well. It was great seeing many of you again. You guys are the best.

Solstice in T-24hrs

2010-06-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ready for summer? You've probably already had it for a while, depending on where you are, but it certainly has not been in evidence in this little corner of the planet for weeks it seems.
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Got some photos done (thanks,F) got some writing done, got some electrical work done, and have been reading plenty. On the menu: farces; and some tragedies -- just like any other Tuesday.
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Hey look what I found while exploring playgrounds last week: a Stargate funded play structure deep in East Vancouver.

Who said they were heartless...
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Looking for ward to Chotebor, Budapest, and London. See you soon!

WWMZD?

2010-05-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Yikes. It's not looking good in the gulf. The idea that this leak is unstoppable is scary. What would McKay and Zelenka do? They should call. I have underwater experience...
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Some good news/bad news on the convention front this week: I was tentatively slated for Gatecon in Vancouver in July, but a theatre job in Europe has come up and I will have to miss Gatecon this time around. Regrets about that - I wish I would've known sooner. Nonetheless, since I'll be in Prague, I'll be stopping in to some events in Europe notably the London Comicon, and events in Chotebor (CZ) and Budapest! . Stop in if you're in the neighborhood!
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Refuge of Lies

2010-04-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

The show's opened. That's where I've been, in a black box on the corner of Hemlock and 12th.Come on out if you're in the 'hood. Refuge of Lies, Wed-Sat at 8. Theatre's always at eight, as Roy Cohn once said.

Have you heard of Ron Mueck? I saw his exhibit in Melbourne and it's quite awesome.

One more day till day off. Have a great weekend, folks, enjoy spring!

Blogistic Delinquency

2010-03-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

At least once a month! I could at least make the effort, you'd think. Poor, underserviced blog.
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I've been away. And I've not been nearly as "mobile" as my internet/cell phone service provider have led me to believe I'd be. Interconnected world? Sure, if there's time. And a signal. Finding a signal...
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And now: rehearsals. Head down for a bit. It's springtime. Time to get busy.

Paris!

2010-02-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hey Bonjour y'all. I thought that par ce que we were criticized for not having enough francais in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games I thought I would endeavor to set things right and go pratique my francais in Paris. I know. I know. It's tough. It's a sacrifice, but I'll do it in the name of bilingualism.
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Turns out I'll be going to the Sci Fi Show in Paris this weekend as a last minute guest addition. Crazy, what? It's just part and parcel of this high flying celebrity lifestyle. I'm looking forward to it very much, if only to get out of this five-ring circus called Vancouver 2010 for the weekend.
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The commercial is on TV! Compare it to the original which aired back in the eighties. Fun fun.
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Hope you guys are doing well, look forward to seeing you in France!

...and the future is clean...

2010-01-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

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...And full of round buildings.
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Science World, aka the old BC Pavillion, is getting a full scrub for the upcoming games. Now there's a window washer's version of rubik's cube.
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And check out the once dingy planeterium. -- All Jetson'sy and - who knew? - a bit of a Haida influence showing up there too. Westcoast futurism. Pretty cool. Hey Douglas Copeland - you reading this?...
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Hey so I thought - time for our Year End Clearance Special. The acting biz, much like the REST OF THE WORLD is just coming out of an economic slump. It's tough. So I thought I'd do some advertising to help spur the economy. Move some product. You can help.
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Just save and print out the coupon below and, I'm serious now, send to your favourite TV producer, suggesting possible roles for David Nykl. It'll be great. Kinda like assisted direct marketing. :-)
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You guys are great.

Welcome to the Future

2010-01-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's 2010. It is now, officially, the Future. Just this morning I came outside and my car was levitating. People were flying around with jet-packs, going to their white dome-shaped office towers. It all happened so suddenly. The future has arrived. Welcome to it.
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Actually, it looks pretty much the same outside as it did before the future arrived. The only difference is the Olympic parking restrictions throughout our neighbourhood and the funky new East Van sign. It`s pretty cool. (the sign, not the traffic chaos). Funny how a gang logo has become public art. I used to see that cross spray painted onto walls or as faded tattoos.

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Teh interweb says January 20th will be my Human Target episode. It`s the one on the plane. Drop everything, tune in, then write a letter to the producers saying I should be a regular character. (I love you guys...)

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We had a cast and crew screening of Beast of Bottomless Lake last weekend and it was great! I had forgotten much about how the story holds together and have never seen how pretty it looks and how great it sounds. Kudos to Kennedy and Craig. Good work guys. Now, I hope it gets out there and people get a chance to see it. I think it`s a great film.
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And hey - what luck - filmed a spot for some company yesterday. So coming soon to a living room near you: a jingle I think you may remember from the eighties (those of you who remember the eighties).
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Talk again soon...

2009-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

Look at you. Still out there. In the cold. The show's in syndication, but you guys are still there. The Zelenka faithful. You inspire me...

It's been a great year full of ups and downs - and it went by SO fast. And 2010 is just around the corner. Lots to look forward to - the "Beast of Bottomless Lake" is finally ready to roll out the door - after over two years in post. From what I hear it supposed to be awesome. Really looking forward to seeing it. I'll keep you updated. There's a smattering of stage work and some film projects on their way - Remember to keep an eye out for Human Target on Fox sometime in January or so. The episode I'm in is #4 - "Rewind".

Thanks for your support over the past year - I met a lot of you in various corners of the planet, and I look forward to doing much the same in 2010. I leave you with a little gift - some free avatars of Zelenka for your "snurching". Just click on the present on my website.

Flying the friendly skies

2009-11-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Big plane month. Lots of planes. Real ones and not so real ones.

Worked last week on a new show debuting on Fox in January called "Human Target". Was good fun. Don't let the oxygen masks fool you, you don't stand a chance aboard Pacific National Airways. (Why do they always put me in glasses?...) After a day of sitting on the plane I drove to the airport and went to sit on a plane. Just to change it up a bit. Flew to Philly, and the whole way the oxygen masks didn't deploy and the plane didn't roll over, so I don't know what was wrong with this flight.

I found lots of angry robots in Philadelphia shooting their TV sets. Kinda weird. I guess it's a product of the poor economy. It's tough out there for a Boba Fett.

Beautiful fall colours in a very temperate King of Prussia, PA (not actually Philadelphia). I saw the mammoth mall, didn't venture in, and looked up the origin of the name: King of Prussia. Turned out to be a pub. A town named after a pub, named after a monarch of a former eastern European country. My kinda place.

Anyone going to Philly?...

2009-10-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

The auditions are picking up. Hooray. Let me tell you, sucks to be an actor in an economic downturn. You hear everything from "poor DVD sales are to blame" to "The bond market is making the Studios cautious" as reasons for the dearth of auditions. Would that be the James Bond market, I wonder?... It's such a complex math. There really is no way to predict what will come down the pike. It always comes down to the individual - sometimes you book. Sometimes you don't. The more chances there are the better your odds. You just gotta do your thing.

Speaking of doing things - I got a last minute call to come out to Philadelphia this weekend. Yahoo. I'll be at the Game X thingy thing out there in Philly; where I hear it is always sunny. Looking forward to seeing some of you out there - if you can make it come on out. Looks like a lot of fun.

I'll leave you with some shots of Hong Kong, I was there on a stopover en route to Perth last week. Awesome place.

Spring in October

2009-10-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Connor Trinneer. Judging a cosplay contest. Serious work.

It's funny how something as seemingly constant as, say, seasons - or day and night - or even time can be mercurial when you travel. Crossing the date line is particularly odd. One moment it's Tuesday and the next - oh didn't they tell you - it's Wednesday. Or Monday. Depending on the direction. Time is compressed - a night slips by in a few hours, or elongated - it's three o'clock in the afternoon for five hours. It's just weird. Messes up your head. Shakes your faith in the firma part of terra firma. It's more like terra move around'a lotta.

It's spring in the extreme south west of Australia. Flowers are blooming and hotter weather is on its way. I spent the night in the Karri forest in Bonarup National Park, just outside of Pemberton, WA a few nights ago. It just ain't the kind of forests I'm used to. Smells different. Different birdsong. Different trees. And then a kangaroo hops by. This is the other Pemberton, the one with the kangaroos and the 50 metre tingle trees. Drive a little further and suddenly your in Devonshire, England, with genteel farmland and rolling hills. This is the harsh outback of Australia? It seems pretty idyllic to me. Refined even. But then drive a little further and come to a park with 30 metre drop offs to the roiling Southern Ocean and signs to watch out for quicksand. Quicksand! Yet another challenge on your daily commute. Can you imagine? -- "Sorry Bob, I'm losing the signal, I'm up to my shoulders now..." Only in Australia.

Speaking of which, the Best of Both Worlds event in November has been cancelled, but, BUT! there will be another Strargate event in Sydney and Melbourne next March which I'll be going to, with, from what I've heard, a super surprise, never been seen before special stargate guest. So if you missed me in Perth, I'll be back down under in the spring. Er, autumn - I mean.

Be back soon with more pictures...

Perth!

2009-09-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to this one -- this just in: hello Aussie fans - any of you in the far, far west? I'll be going to Perth next weekend for the go 3 convention. I can't imagine anywhere further away from, well, anywhere, than Perth. Very much looking forward to it, I just need to remember to bring my official Australian English Interpretation Device along - a smallish device about the size of a key fob - you surreptitiously push the button when you hear: "Aw yia, it'd be chokkers" and within seconds a soft spoken voice translates: "Yes, there's gas in the tank". Very handy to have when renting a car.

I'll leave you with an interesting fact: many people say that it rains a lot here in Vancouver. Truth is, as demonstrated by the picture, it may be a lot of rain, but it comes all at once.

In-con-ceivable

2009-09-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in almost two months! How crass. How unbefitting. How un-up-to-the-minute-micro-blogging of me. How horrible it must be to not know what I've been doing.
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So to remedy that I'll do I twitter style update of everything I did from the last post:
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"Clicked Publish Post. Stood up. Went to window. Phone rang. Picked it up. Talked. Put phone down. Ate a cookie. Went out to backyard. Remembered something I forgot to get from inside. Went back inside... Whoa. This could take a while. How much time do you have?...
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Let's hit the high points: I've been writing. A script (yes!) Auditioning - hit and miss - meeting with various people about various things (I'm superstitious - don't like to disclose things until they're set - also helps create sense of mystery) Got stranded in a remote inlet on a non-starting 16 ft boat. Learned to fix outboard engines - sort of (see previous). Translated several scripts, and a few drier than dry academic papers. Built some stairs. Went to L.A. few times. Motorcycle tour of Vancouver island... what else. Oh yeah. Had an audition the other day at the Bridge studios - I tell you it was weird going back there - saw some recognizable faces, but otherwise it's the new deal over there.

Oh yeah. One more thing: I shaved. Sort of.
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Thank you. Thank you very much. Be back soon.

What a swingin' convention

2009-07-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Wasn't that fun...
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Big thank you for all of you who came out to Markham, Ontario last weekend - and Polaris 23. You forded rivers, flew from Ireland, drove via Montreal - endured all sorts of hardships to get there... so kudos to you. Once you knew where it was it was easy to find. Am I right? It was great to see Dave and Kate again, and a lot of fun chatting with them for what seemed an eternity up there...
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Sad news from the Australian newsdesk here at Zelenka Industries - the July convention there has been postponed till November. I think we're just waiting for the Australian continent to drift .004 metres closer to North America in the interim so that it's not so far to go. Or something like that.
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I'm off for some work, be back shortly...

Lost in Narnia

2009-06-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hey! Long time no blog entry. Where have I been?
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In Narnia, so to speak. In Chemainus actually, which is like Narnia, except for without the fauns. I'm in tech week for our kid's show out here on the island, and it's going swimmingly. Great cast and great prodution team. Remember that SNL short, the Chronicles of Narnia? I keep singing that in my head. Come on out if you're in the neighbourhood. We open July 1st.
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And then it's off to Toronto! Yahoo! Haven't been there in ages. See you at Polaris - or Toronto Trek, or whatsit called, and lo and behold, I've just checked the website and I see that that other guy is going to be there too. Why does he keep following me around?...
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And then, then! it's off to Australia for another spin at Best of Both Worlds. I've always had lots of fun there - looking forward to that one!
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Busy summer! I'll be back with a fresh batch of where in the world pics soon.

Back to Work...

2009-05-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Is it May already? Where has the time gone?...

I'll tell you where it's gone - to work. A flurry of little jobs came my way this past month, which is nice considering McGillion's got himself a cameo in a recent blockbuster. I gotta keep up!

I finished a great little short called "Voodoo" courtesy of the Kickstart program and Mark Ratzlaff and Co. Quite fine. Worked with some lovely and talented actresses. Ali Liebert and Camille Sullivan. (above) Lucky me.

And a commercial. Well kind of a commercial - a PSA even. Those of you in Canada will see it soon enough. Just shot it on Friday. We recommend you don't plan on drowning. Just don't.

And auditions, of course. Oh and some directing too! That's going to be fun. I'm just prepping my directorial return to the Chemainus stage with the stage adaptation of the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, which I'll be directing later in June. That'll be fun.

What else - spoke to Joe Mallozzi today - he told me about the Atlantis script and some "chunky" Zelenka scenes coming! So don't despair, ye Atlantis faithful. There's still more Zelenka coming!!

That was fun...

2009-04-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

How'd you like my fic?

I've gotta write more Sheppard/Weir. There's unplumbed passion there. That'll be in my next book. And thanks for the photo, anonymous slovak person...

Back in Vancouver with several little fun projects brewing. The kettle is finally getting warm. I took a 500 photo "picture movie" of my drive up the I-5 with shots every few minutes, hoping to make a kind of Phillip Glass sense out of all that open country. Not sure it worked.

Astro physicists for hire

2009-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Will work for Argand diagrams.

Saw Mr Hewlett last week. He's doing well. Also in Los Angeles. Getting off an exploding planet is easy, getting out of LA - not so much.

Looking forward to Creation con next week in Vancouver. They tell me that I'm going to be in the cabaret on Friday evening. Oh really? ...That should be interesting.

Speaking of interesting here's a great link if you have a spare hundred minutes and a high speed connection. Those channel Four people have got it going on! Hope they pull out of the financial mess. I hope we all do. Oh and one more: I'm going to see this for sure.

Creation in Vancouver

2009-03-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Quick post, no pictures... oh well here have one - (Hi Chuck and Jerry - remember work?...)

Looks as though I'll be a last minute addition to the line up at the Creation convention in Vancouver April 3rd (The Friday, I believe) Even though I'm not yet on the website because, well I don't know why. So come on out. I'll see you there. (More on this later, when I have more time...)

Two doctors and a wraith walk into a bar...

2009-03-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

...and the bartender says "what'll it be?..." and the Wraith goes: "I'll have the tuscan chicken quesadilla with the tabouli salad" and the first doctor says "I'll have the Huevos Rancheros and a coffee" and the second doctor goes "Do you have rye toast?".

...and that's all of the joke that I can remember.

Meet Aaron Craven a recent Wraith Commander and all around television visionary (r), and the unbuttoned and unHINGED Paul McGillion (l), mid crosswalk on Sunset. It's finally stopped snowing in Los Angeles and the sun has come out, so we've been going around the neighbourhood sitting in people's lawn furniture, just to check out, you know, how it feels.

The Simpsons have a star on the boulevard. All is right.

Speaking of rye toast, Gehry's Disney Concert Hall is quite an awesome building. It sits like a burning element in downtown L.A. I didn't go inside, but walked all around it. The sun hits it and it illuminates like a hot ember. Many modern buildings are cool, watery - they flow and soothe, but this building starts fires and browns delivery vans. Very neat. Good metaphor for a philharmonic orchestra.

Getting Even More Famouser

2009-02-24T00:21:00.000-08:00

Hello? Anybody still out there? Yoohoo?....

It's nice to see some of you guys still keeping up with this irregular little blog - sporadic as it may be. It's a pleasure to have you here.

It's pilot season in Los Angeles, which is like the actor's "Incredible Race", a no holds barred fight for the thirty jobs out there. Whew. Better watch out, Leo and Johnny, I'll be in the room too. And I came by zebra.

The sun is sure a nice change. Not having seen it since October up in Vancouver, being in L.A. is like coming out of a matinee of a David Lynch film - blinded, confused and warm inside. Hard to describe. (By the way his weather reports are brilliant.)

Went to rubberneck at the Oscars last night (no I'm not going to put that stupid copyright thingy beside the word) and got as far as the police blockade (above). Apparantly they didn't see my work in Crackerjack 2. Uncultured lugs.

Spring's coming kids - billions are being spent, the birds will soon return, and short skirts will be making a comeback, I'm told. Something's bound to happen.

Two more

2009-02-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm not done with Ireland yet. I got a couple more pictures...

The first one is a picture of a typical Irish homestead. Becaue of the balmy weather there is no need for a front door, or even corners, insulation and roof gutters. I couldn' help but wonder where all the rain goes and how the Irish make their toast since I couldn't see any electrical plugs. Very resourceful people. I was lucky they weren't home too. By the way, the Burren was amazing: I don't think I've ever seen anything 6000 years old.

The second picture I can't explain; only that I like the trend to wearing blue and red blotches on your nape. I'm going to start doing that.

Okay enough sillines. Time to be serious: I'm in Los Angeles, a place that tolerates no ridiculous behaviour. I saw the good Paul McGillion last night, he says hi to you all (actually he didn't, I'm just saying that, but I'm sure he would) and we've finally put the finishing touches on our plan to take over the world. More on that later...

Ireland

2009-02-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Cliffs of Moher, County Clare.

Slea Head and Blasket Island, the very tip of Dingle Peninsula

The Blarney Stone

Drombeg Stone Circle, County Cork

Closing night, Carran's, in Cork City
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On Galway sands they kiss your hands./They kiss your lips at Carney./ But on the Lee they drink strong tea/ and kiss the stone that's Blarney.
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I remember seeing a cheesy postcard or some such with a cartoon representation of a leprechaun kissing a stone labeled Blarney. They were out on a field somewhere and the stone was just that, a rock in a field with grass growing underneath it. Now I knew enough that not all Irish people are four foot nothing and sport ginger beards, green hats and long pipes (actually, on second thought...) but for some reason the idea of the Blarney stone being a boulder in a field somehow stuck in my subconscious.
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Fast forward to last Thursday and my surprise that in order to actually kiss the Blarney stone, you have to lie down on slippery rain soaked ramparts over a hundred feet up at the top of Blarney castle, literally bend over backwards while a rain soaked dude (bloke - chap?) holds you by the waist and basically shoves your face into the castle wall while his buddy takes your picture (ten euros, if you please).
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Reality: one. Preconceptions: zero. And the tower of Pisa is not held up by Greg from Baltimore like in those pictures you always see.
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But Ireland. What to say. It was lovely. Of course. I drove most of the south western peninsulas (the rental car has a handy reminder sticker on the dashboard: Stay Left <--- ) and the weather broke for those three days, so I actually saw the peninsulas Beara, Iveragh and Dingle. I was expecting it to be much colder, but the gulf stream keeps the lucky Irish in a mild and wet winter, where many people have sub-tropical plants in their gardens.
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My thanks to the Warpcon people (Noirin, Karen, Steve, Eoin - did I spell that right?) and their hospitality. It was, like the Guiness, smooth and rich.

Danny Boy

2009-01-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

Anyone going to be in Ireland this weekend? Yeah?... I'll see you there! Come on down to Cork and Warpcon ... The first trip of '09 has me jetting across the Atlantic to the emerald isle where my prose writing will get even more purple as I attempt to catch up with the linguistic acrobatics of a nation that has a lot to say. The Celtic Tiger, The Luck of the Irish, and all that Blarney. I'm really looking forward to it.
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Thanks for all your kind words - I wasn't expecting my last post to be so sympathy evoking. And another shout out to the "unwillingly ice bound" Kimmel family. That sounded harrowing.
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Sunny day - blue skies - snow's almost all gone. Hope you guys are keeping warm out there. Talk again soon...

"Hey did you notice how I saved the world last Friday night?

2009-01-12T01:17:00.000-08:00

I should put that on my resume. "Saved the World. Jan 09/09" Did you notice that? The idea for the thingy? You know... "Enemy at the Gate" ..?
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That was, as I understand (and sometimes I don't understand much) the last and final episode of Stargate Atlantis last Friday night.
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Bummer. Totally. I don't know how else to put it. --Too bad it's over. It was a great ride. I loved that job.
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My last day on the Atlantis set was Sept 09 2008 - the last scene with the good Dr Woolsey in "Enemy at The Gate" - the idea for the thingy scene - what was it again?...Wormhole Hyperdrive . I think...
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At any rate - I want to thank the Producers for a great gig, the Writers for some terrific and memorable scenes, my other Cast mates for their integrity and talent - it really was great working with you, and to a production team that isn't just the best in the world as the old cliche goes, but instead is, without a doubt, the best in two galaxies. At' se zas někdy potkáme...
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That's a picture of me and a goat. Because pictures are necessary in a blog.

Merry Arctic Inflow

2008-12-23T01:12:00.000-08:00

Snow. And again. I've not seen this much in this city for over a dozen years at least. And it's not about to go anywhere. It's going to stay piled up right on top of my car, and then freeze, and then compress with the salt and turn into a sedentary layer of white limestone betraying to future civic paeleontologists the location of that 1/2 inch copper hose coupling I dropped today and could not find anywhere. Burst outdoor piping. Don't ask.

I've heard the meteorologists down south repeat the phrase "arctic air coming down from Canada" when this kind of weather blows in. We don't have no 'Canada' to blame up here. Instead the weatherpeople use the ominous "arctic inflow" to describe weather that's meant for Edmonton but somehow ends up getting lost and howls down the coast. And let me tell you "arctic inflow" ain't no appliance manufacturer. It's nasty cold. Above is a picture of the inflow inflowing - on a recent crossing of Hotham sound. That's cold you can see.

But it will soon be Christmas. And that's good. So let me take this chance to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and a healthy, happy, prosperous New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Boom de yada boom de yada

2008-12-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

I love the mountains too. Isn't that a great commercial?...

Well here we are. December. If you're tucked into this corner of the world December looks and feels much like that first picture: wet and gloomy. Great weather to make a movie..

I've been filming an MOW - movie of the week - in Maple Ridge for the past few weeks. I play the main baddie, a CEO with the heart of a crouton. Now how did they ever come up with a charcter like that?! I get to make life difficult for our herione, Shannen Doherty by kidnapping her boyfriend. Muhahahaha... ohp - have I given away too much already? Anyway, watch for it, coming soon to a cable channel (I'm guessing) near you. It's called "Resistance".

The dressing rooms (above) have got much nicer wallpaper than we had on Atlantis. See. Change IS good.

Cherry Hill/NYC

2008-11-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Whoosh. That's how fast it goes. Four days. WHOOSH. Like the November wind. Four days on the eastcoast. Everything's much closer together and there's lots of trains everywhere. You can get around pretty fast. Relatively. -Exept maybe Brooklyn on a Saturday night.

Cherry Hill was terrific, it was great to meet those of you I had a chance to talk to. I did't really see much of Philly, it was all about New York this time aroud. Went to the MOMA, saw Chekhov's "The Seagull" on Broadway with Kristin Scott Thomas, Stellan Skarsgaard, and Mackenzie Crook the guy from the English version of the Office. It was good - just good, unfortunately - it needed a lot more of that slavic despair and humour - a tough thing to get for most Chekhov productions I've seen in the west. Hey - everybody's a critic, right?

Thanks for all your comments and wishes. Be back soon...

Here comes Philly!

2008-11-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

Almost election day down there isn't it?... go VOTE!!!
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It's also almost Philadelphia time! Finally I'm coming out to the east coast! See you all in just a few days! ...And speaking of Jason Momoa and Gary Jones: here's two pics from the last few days of shooting. Poor Jason and that horrible wolverine incident. I hope his ass gets better...

Boo!

2008-10-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

Two wheels are better than one

2008-10-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

You guys are the best. Really. Your posts, emails and support are very encouraging as we wrap up production on our fifth and final season of SG:A. I mean how many people during these tough economic times have a group with placards and guitars show up to protest the end of your job? You don't know how much I appreciate your support, because I don't say it enough: so thanks. Thanks for your posts and emails, your pictures, poems and ahem, imaginations. You're wonderful.
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Now with a bit of free time on my hands, I pulled out the map and revisited something I've wanted to do since I was nine. I've always wanted to explore the thousands of kilometres of logging roads in the mountains up the coast from Vancouver. There's so many compelling places on the map that are simply empty of anything except a dotted line indicating a hiking trail or deactivated logging road. "I wonder what's there..."
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I spent three days a few weeks ago on my motorbike in the hills above Jervis Inlet. The weather was glorious and the bears were cooperative - opting to leave the trail when they heard me approaching. A good thing too, because they've been loading up on calories for the winter and 20 pounds of blackberries makes for an ursine sugar rush I don't want to witness.
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A week later, I was back on the mean streets, this time in L.A. and without the benefit of an internal combustion engine. I opted to do most of my biking at Venice beach - but you don't actually go anywhere except up and down the boardwalk. And I had people to meet, things to do, places to go. Besides, the wildlife was scaring me.
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Los Angeles, auditions, and peddle as fast as you can. That's the best way to evade the bear.

CERN, VIFF, and Presidential Debates

2008-09-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so now they've had to take the Large Hadron Collider offline because it was overheating. Well duh. I could see that one coming. I kept telling them 'just pull over and top up that radiator fluid' but did they listen?.. They NEVER listen to me...
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Went to some pretty cool forums today at the Vancouver Film Festival. It was TV Day and the topic was "Series That Have Legs". Ironic, no? And you know what was the most common factor cited as "hooking" and audience? -- Character. Good strong, identifiable characters. They draw an audience.
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Whew. There's hope for me yet... (so if you know any exec. producers out there looking to cast a series - bump my name up, will ya?)
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Speaking of hope in troubled times: watched the US presidential debate on TV tonight (the Canadian election was on another channel, but it wasn't as good a show) and I must say I was impressed with the level of debating going on. It was sure a relief to hear intelligent discussion after what we've been seeing and hearing for the past eight years. I wish you guys well. I wish us ALL well. Pick the right guy.
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Can you guess the song Robert Picardo is playing?

Goodbye Reuben Tuesday

2008-09-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Large Hadron Collider went online today. Big news for Switzerland. Not such a big deal for us on Atlantis. We use ours at work to make Reuben sandwiches.

Tired Monsters

2008-09-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it get hot under all that rubber? Especially in Atlanta in the summer?!... You guys are epic. Most of the 30,000 of you at DragonCon last weekend were dressed up in some way, and often it was pretty amazing. I saw several Shaun's of the Dead, many many Stormtroopers, and at least two dozen "new" smeared make-up Jokers. Impressive. There were fairies and furries, clones and clowns, and all manner of living dead. The hotel was pretty epic too. Love that 50 storey atrium.
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Met many of you from a part of the world I rarely travel to and wish I did more: the U.S. South. I even had the Cream of Wheat porridge FOR SUPPER instead of breakfast, like y'all do down there. And it taste nothing like grit. It taste like porridge for dinner is all...
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Hard to believe but this will be my last week on Atlantis the series. Three days this week, two on "Enemy at the Gate", the finale; and a day on "Vegas" the penultimate Atlantis adventure. Whew. Those five years went fast! It seems like only yesterday a hapless doctor with a weird accent told his commanding officer to "stop talking please". That was way back. Atlantis old school.
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I'll bring my camera. Take some piccies.

Mirror Beans, Big Pizzas, and the Next Thing

2008-08-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe - cancelled - after five years. Atlantis the series has been wrapped. It's all so sudden. Even when you know it can happen anytime, when it does you go: where did that come from? I barely have digested the news before the "what's next?" questions started up. What's next?
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Well, frankly, I don't know. More work. More good roles. More ways to connect. I hope.
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We move on.. and next up Atlanta! Never been, leaving in a few hours. Understand it can get hot there. Pshaw.
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Chicago last weekend was terrific - met some great people, went up a tall building, saw a magical mirror-bean which predicted that in the future, we will all take pictures of ourselves with our telephones and speak to people that are not really there. Weird. Ducked into the Art Institute of Chicago and stared at a Maigritte for a long time. I like how he tells a story in his paintings.
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The blog will continue its current haphazard reportage. If I find out anything about the fate of the good doctor, I will let you know; however - they never tell me anything.
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It was great to see you guys. Thanks for the support. See you again soon.

And the winner is...

2008-08-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

How do you do it? I mean you had the answer within hours of me posting it! The internet is sure a pretty big place when you're looking for things.
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Congratulations to Susan the Tartan Turtle for being the first in correctly identifying Cadboro Bay, Victoria, BC - and Gyro Park. Send me a mailing address and watch your mail! Seriously - how'd you do it?
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Shooting for "Identity" coming up this week, after a bit of a break. And then - the last two of season 5. We better hurry up, you guys are eating them up fast...

Many Places

2008-08-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

The middle of summer. Ahhh. Time to do some CSI'n.(See above) That's the venerable and highly misunderstood Sean Murphy, the best-of-the-best, our Second A.D. (not b.c - just to be clear) He's the glue that holds the lot together. He's, I dunno, Italian, I think.
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Dispatches from a moment by the desktop -I'm very old school that way: a couple more scripts have rolled in, and they are, by all accounts, stunning because of what happens to- mmmGrgp PHkhh h . ff.F.
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There's also a behind the scenes videoblog coming out on the MGM site somewhere, I think, soon, and - last but utterly not least, a visit to the many of you very fine folk out there in Americalandia - is that how you pronounce it?.. in CHICAGO very soon, and then ATLANTA soon after that. Most excellentness.
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And, last but utterly least: Name the Location - Episode 7 or something: To the Correct Identifier goes a signed photograph of the good doctor with a Special Added Bonus of a shard of glass from a 'recent episode'. Guess the exact location of the first picture, and the staff over here at Letters From Pegasus will send you that and more!!...
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Enjoy summer. Go for a swim.

Townsvillians?... Rockhampters?...

2008-07-14T00:52:00.000-07:00

Okay. Here it is. I'm delivering on my promise: the ever-popular and very fine Paul McGillion and a Pachyderm (he's the one on the -- ... aw ha ha ha..). There's also some Alan Tudyk - very nice to meet you, a fine fellow indeed, again, and of course the ever-popular David Nykl, who who's generating some serious Oscar® buzz with his latest picture "Queensland Mystic". Yup.
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Thank You Australia Zoo! It was... was... Crikey!
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I'm also very proud to be publishing what I'm pretty sure is the only know photo of Paul McGillion and a Wombat in existence.
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Oh and I can't forget the enigmatic and virtuous Mungo McKay (right) who showed up just on the nick of time. Awesome.
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We haven't played Name the Location in an age, haven't we?... Remember? The Name the Exact Location Game, where I publish a photo and you try to guess the location? I think it's time. It's been far too long. And I've got a bunch of new ones...Right after this commercial break .. ..

Brisbanonians

2008-07-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Like Torontonians, except for "from a warmer climate". It's winter here, which means a frigid 19 degrees celsius. The poor locals are forced to wear something called a "jumper" along with several shawls to fend off the inclement weather. How do they do it? I mean it's almost a wee bit chilly here. Better "rug up". I have one word for you, Brisbane, when it comes to winter: Winnipeg.
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*rolls eyes*
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Loving it here, meeting a lot of awesome fans and seeing another chunk of my beloved Oz. We're off to the zoo today. Hope to get some pictures of Paul McGillion feeding a croc. I'll keep you updated...

Off to Oz...

2008-07-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Quick update - busy travel month...
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Australia is confirmed and happening, I'm just off to the airport. See all you in Brisbane this weekend!!

So Precious

2008-06-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Aren't they just so darling? These are the models I got "for review" from the Action Toy Doll Making Company. Yeah. They're making an action doll out of Zelenka! Ain't that cool.
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Resemblance ?...

3-2-1 Hiatus

2008-06-06T00:58:00.000-07:00

Has anyone who blogs noticed that Hindi translator button tucked away up on the blogger compose page? Neither did I. I thought I was going crazy there for a while. Suddenly, I was able to type in fluent Hindi. Cool.
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Well I wrapped out of the mid-season two parter today - my final scenes before summer hiatus. There's still a week of production before the break, but I got let out early for good behaviour. It's been a fun episode to shoot - and a great script -finally getting some screen time with the very fine Rachel Luttrell.
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Next up: a guest spot on Sanctuary, (Thanks, Martin Wood!) That's going to be fun - I've never been to the Hindu Kush Mountains before. Then there's the second of the audio dramas I'm doing with Big Finish. I did one last week and the script was really really good. And they're a lot of fun to do. I think you'll like them a lot.
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Still possible I'll make it out to Brisbane in July, if all goes well. Still waiting on that one. I have, however booked another convention in the U.S. in Cherry Hill, NJ, in November. So that brings the total to three for this year - finally - I know it's been a while but I'm making up for it this summer and fall. Looking forward to seeing you all.
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There's this picture I really have to show you... but it will have to wait till next post...
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Be well!

Never too far from a sandwich on Stargate Atlantis

2008-05-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Many people don't know this but transporting processed cheese slices through the stargate causes the enzymes to reconstitute into pure sugar. So not only do you get grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, you also get the taste of blue cotton candy. It's why Glen's sandwich cart is so popular.
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Meet our new gate tech Banks. Since coming to the control room this past year, Chuck hasn't quite been himself. Something's going on...

The Beast inches closer...

2008-05-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hey ho internet voyageurs: nice to see you wash up on the sunny beaches of Zelenkandia.
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I've just read the mid-season two parter, and let me tell you you won't believe what happens to - -- -- mmmmphphp mpp pphpp. *muzzled from offstage*
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Fun stuff coming up - The Beast of Bottomless Lake is going through a rigorous post-production process - I've seen bits and pieces and it looks damn good. Check out the new website: Beast of Bottomless Lake Website
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Also a shout-out to Brendan Beiser and all the folks at the new "made in Vancouver" talk show he's hosting: This Conversation. I was a guest there last week and they run a fine show. I wish them much luck with it.
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Next up: Did someone say video podcast?...

"You should update your blog..."

2008-04-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

When I first started blogging many months ago, I had no idea I was getting into a publish or perish situation. I mean really! The pressure!!
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It's when Joe M only half-jokingly mentioned that he's been asked on his blog to ask me to update mine that I realized the gravity of the situation: I'm losing touch with all you lovelies out there. Quick get me a keyboard!! I. Must. Update. It's been more than a month!
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I blame the weather. It's been sunny. And after a dismal monsoon season here in B'an Coober, I'm outside all the time. Since I'm not much of a "bring the computer with me wherever I go" guy, my blogging suffers for it. As does my FARKing, chess playing, emailing, google earthing, Onioning, and hacking of the Academy Awards website to get Marketa Irglova her oscar.
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It's raining. So here I am. Whadd'ya want?
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Ah yes. News. What's news... Well I guess I can officially announce TWO conventions in the U.S. this summer. FINALLY! (trumpets &c) All within two weeks of each other: Chicago Creation con in August, and the following weekend Dragon Con in Atlanta. I've only been to one con in the U.S. - United con in Massachusettes a few years back, so I'm looking forward to meeting you again, and many more at either of these two venues. I've not been to either con yet, so I hope they'll be good ones - especially to you guys.
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I've just finished a nice six-day run out at the Bridge Studio (did you know that the Golden Gate bridge was manufactured in the same building we have our puddle jumper set? - It's true. It was shipped down to San Francisco for assembly) Two episodes in those six days: Ghost in the Machine and The Shrine. Some nice McKay/Zelenka scenes in there. Two great eppies too.
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Got some auditions to prepare. Must run. Oh, and finally - thanks for all your questions about when "Beast of Bottomless Lake" is coming out. Latest I've heard is all the money's been sewn up, a work copy is ready, and it's "Almost ready". Whatever that means. Here. Ask Kennedy. here's his email: jedischooldropout@telus.net

Season Five , Episode Two, Day One

2008-02-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Robert Picardo, Mr Paul McGillion, and Mr David Nykl on the first day of the season for me.

A terrific day with some terrific actors. Oh, and David Hewlett says "hi".

Zelenka má doživotí. Z vězení půjde nejdřív za 30 let

2008-02-22T01:23:00.000-08:00

Hradec Králové - Heparinový vrah Zelenka stráví zbytek života ve vězení. Byl uznán vinným ze sedmi vražd a deseti pokusů o vraždu a dostal za ně doživotí.

K výjimečnému trestu ho odsoudil senát Krajského soudu v Hradci Králové. Zelenka si bude moci o podmínečné propuštění požádat nejdříve po třiceti letech, tedy v roce 2038. Trest si odpyká ve věznici se zvýšenou ostrahou.

This is not how I thought season 4 would end!!!

You people!!

2008-02-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well gee thanks for the birthday wishes you all: Rosehawk, darkrose, pedantic_bohemian, morjana, faithchan, leaper 182, audrey, 42, fififolle, tori, scarym, michelle lunsford, suekay the intrepid photographer, irish faery, fiarynne, thedancingarchelologist, emma, bitter crimson, carolyn, elyse, shelfsc, lapis, queenserenity42,maggiemayday, rachelfrompegasus2, nigrum, kanku, kdvb1, becky s, czechie, nicolas, fran, snorchl, osirisofflight, sulien, chevrontwosix, elyse, freaky-darling, allison, rrmf, watcher652, paula, ivanaa, kim, julie, and ohmigod the list goes on and it's only 10:30 in the morning.
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Thank you all so much, I KNOW I've missed some, most, lots of you, the love is there, the typing skills aren't. So even if you've THOUGHT happy birthday, then thanks. And the wiki: priceless.
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(I had no idea it would be such a big deal. Now go back to work...)

Snow Day

2008-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

Doesn't snow much here on the green edge of the Great White North. We see the pictures of our neighbours getting covered, then frozen, and then wallowing in the muck quite often in the press, but it visits Vancouver maybe once or twice a season.
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Well today is one of those days. It's everywhere. And it's great. Love the snow - probably because we just don't see so much of it. Except for up on the mountains.
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I was up there last week, on Grouse Mountain, for a quick ski day. It's no Whistler, but when it comes to skiing right ON TOP of the city, it's pretty spectacular.
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Well it looks like we're off to Season Five on Atlantis shortly. How lucky are we, eh? Despite a writer's strike and a woozy economy, mama Stargate she just keeps rolling. I haven't heard anything definitive yet, but I do know I'm in two of the first four eppies which kick off season 5. So yahoo. And thanks to all who have posted the comments and support the cause of greater cosmic Zelenkism. You rock. Thanks also to the writers and producers (if any ever happen to read this) for year five. I look forward.
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Once cameras start rolling I'll be posting more pics of Hewlett chewing food and Momoa playing with his dollies. Stay tuned.
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Looking forward to three days on set for the supernatural thriller "SEWN" in which I will be appearing as Donny, the father of the lead heroine. Sounds scary kids. Great production and an interesting cast (names escape me now, more on that later) should make for a fun shoot up on the sunshine coast. (I'll remember to look behind me, something so many actors forget to do in these kinds of movies...)
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Oh and one more thing. The birthday. It's February 7th. Never was a huge secret - I don't know where that came from...

Peace, Love, and Christmas Baking

2007-12-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

I hope it's been a good year for you folks, and if not I hope the next one is much better for you. I've had the pleasure of meeting several of you in the past year, but not nearly enough in the good ol' U.S. and A. - and that's got to change. And it will. It's being worked on currently and hopefully I'll be able to attend some in the new year.
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In the meantime have a lovely Christmas season all, and may the highs of your past be the lows of your future...

...and a bit of Berlin...

2007-12-01T13:44:00.001-08:00

The dour rennaissance.
Those German's have a different word for everything.
Potsdamer platz as I'd never seen it.
And the new (to me at least) Bundestag.
The TV tower makes for great late-night orientation...

...more still...

First Manchester...

2007-11-30T17:28:00.001-08:00

Hello Torri...
Lance Henriksen, Jason Momoa, David Nykl
Tough security in the place...
Lovely fans in the U.K.
Manchester Central (aka Gmex). Love those Victorian era train stations.

Wait... there's more coming....

Goran, Ashley, Alexia, and Leah

2007-11-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Fine day on set at "Helen" today; I love how these outdoor cocktail party scenes (around a pool no less) are usually shot in November at 6 or 7 degrees and it's all you can do to keep your breath from steaming. At least I didn't have to wear a strapless dress (--finally!) like Leah. Hawt. Except for the temperature.
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Next up: Yahoo! Europe! See y'all in Bad Saldetfurth this weekend, and Manchester the next!
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No pictures from Helen today, (I'll bring my camera tomorrow) so here's one from a few weeks ago...

Q Q&A

2007-10-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nice guy that De Lancie. We sat on stage for almost an hour talking all sorts of stuff, TV, theatre, and sailboats. And, of course, stroopwaffels. Lots and lots of stroopwaffels.
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Thanks Utopia for a great weekend - Angela, Nicoline, Martin and all the rest of you who made Scheveningen such a blast. The weather even cooperated! And look my OWN photos to prove it.
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Spent yesterday riding around Amsterdam on the bike and this morning in the Van Gogh Museum. Lovely. The Early Japanese prints were awesome - the whole second floor is dedicated to them, and they are a thing of beauty. You can see the early influences they had on Van Gogh.
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Also, check out the video...

I'll Be Amsterdammed

2007-10-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Why take a camera with you on vacation when you can use other peoples' snaps off the internet...
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Holland! I'm not there yet, but will be this weekend at the SciFi Fest to end all scifi fests (at least as far as cities closest to being underwater goes) Utopia Convention. What am I going to talk about with Q! Ask him about that whole time lord thing I guess.
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So far nothing is certain about any US cons, I'm sad to report. I was almost going to be going to Untied Con in Massachusetts again, but that didn't turn out, so I hope to soon have news for all you wonderful US based folks whom I've yet to visit. It will happen. One day.
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Ding ding! casting news! I've been cast in a feature called Helen, as John, the, um, husband of um,... the script is set to arrive any day now. Ashley Judd's starring in it, and now, so is David Nykl, so it's time to get in line at the cineplex. I hear there's Oscar buzz for David Nykl in this one already...

Happy Birthday (and Merry Christmas)

2007-10-05T01:31:00.000-07:00

Okay NOW it's over. Season IV wrap. Time to say good bye, and Merry Christmas too. I got sung Happy Birthday by the cast and crew 4 months early. Thanks all.
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I'll keep posting, there's much going on.

The sorta Last Supper

2007-10-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ratings. Ratings. Ratings. Everyone's talking about ratings. I find it really curious that the fate of a show is supposedly determined by a random sampling of household's on a given night. It doesn't take a rocket scientist (and believe me - I KNOW) that the metrics used to determine a TV show's fate are haphazard at best. I mean really. Take a look around. There are bajillions of Stargate fans out there. Leave our show alone.
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So last day on set today - sort of. I was in and prepared to say my goodbyes - like the last day of class - when I found out I will be coming in again tomorrow because we didn't get the shot. Hey no problem. More chocolate cake (That's Anthea's famous Mountain Cake in one of the pics - they're phenomenal. (You thought Joe Malozzi was the only one who takes pictures of food...)
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Speaking of Joe, I went up to say hello and see ya next year, and thanks for all the fish today. I brought him two goldfish and a one gallon tank. Said they were named Zelenka and McKay, and asked him if he could get them to talk to each other more. I hope he feeds them.
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It was a good year. 10 episodes for the good Doctor. That's right down the middle. So thanks Joe, and the whole Writing and Producing team. The job you do is monumental and not always easy. Good job.
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Oh and I finally saw some episodes! Watched Adrift, Lifeline and Doppelganger while waiting on set today. Firecrackers all.

Almost there...

2007-09-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Wow. The year went FAST. I can't believe principal photography for season four is drawing to a close already. We had our annual cast and crew wrap party last night at Aqua Riva, and much fun it was. It's an opportunity to see Shawn Murphy in a tie, so it's well worth attending. (that's him in one of the pictures)
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I've got some auditions coming up, (fingers crossed) as well as a few conventions (confirmed: Utopia in Holland, Wolf Events in Germany, and Collectormania in Manchester - yahoo) and I'm still working on getting some together Stateside. Thank you for all your suggestions. I'm following through.
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Have NOT yet seen Adrift, and I've heard it's quite good. Thanks for your comments, I've got to get my hands on a copy soon.
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Be well, and keep watching!!!

No rain. Yet.

2007-09-15T15:47:00.001-07:00

You know, it's a good thing I had my stunt double with me that afternoon on the boat. Too bad we were in such a hurry and had to peel out of there as soon as the picture was taken.
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If anyone living around Texada Island happens to, um, see him let me know. He was a nice guy.
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..No way. I do ALL my own ocean swimming.
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I did however, have a stunt double in the recent episode "Quarantine" (no pics, sorry, forgot camera at home). Nice guy too. And quite a fall he took. Too bad about the wig...
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It's September, kiddies, and that means convention season is soon upon us. I've had a terrific summer (although not much Stargating, truth be told, in a recent six episode dry spell for the good doctor) but I've kept myself busy on other projects - including a one week run of "Twelve Angry Men" at Pacific Theatre starting next week. I'm number four, described as: "A man of wealth and position, and a practiced speaker who presents himself well at all times. He seems to feel a little bit above the rest of the jurors. His only concerns is with the facts in this case and he is appalled by the behaviour of others." Hm. Don't know what I'm gonna do with that.
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I've got some conventions cooking up in Europe; for which I'll be making an announcement here shortly. But I've also long since wanted to go to some in the good ol' U.S. and A. And I know you've all been offering me suggestions which I think may have expired. So, (I'm really asking for it here) post me your suggestions again, for ones in October and November. Somewhere warm. Like Hawaii. Any Hawaiian cons coming up?...
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Up next: "Last Man Standing". Dun dun daaahhh...

Summertime

2007-08-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Where is he? Where is he?...
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Folks, I'm fine. Thank you for the concern. No really. I'm fine.
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It's summertime on the westcoast and I've got a three-episode gap and bright blue skies outside. I'm far away - somewhere where even dial-up can barely reach. I'm up the coast.

Sorry about the brevity, but I'll be back when the rains come. Oh yes I will.

Praga Caput Regni

2007-07-08T03:40:00.000-07:00

Please, no search parties. I'm right here. Over here. In the middle of the old continent, roughly at 50 degrees north and a coupl'a degrees east of Greenwich. The winds have died down and the sun has returned to Prague, which is a nice change from the last week.
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I just returned from a crazy fun weekend out in Chotebor where the Festival Fantasie is now winding down after 10 days of SciFi mayhem. How do you guys do it? Unbelievable. I was so impressed by the dedication and, shall we say, ardour of the fans here in the Czech Republic. Wow. I was treated to a complete compendium of every ounce of czech the good doctor has ever spoken in every episode, complete with deafening applause from the audience. Then there were the presentations. Hour upon hour of Stargate minutiae, diligenty rendered, photoshopped, powerpointed and commented. I only visited for two days, but boy were they intense. I'll publish more pictures as they become available. But in the meantime - velmy Vam vsem dekuju za prizen. Bylo to ohromne.
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Back home lickety split and off to Pegasus, where a Quarantine awaits. Oh dear.
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I'll publish more frequently now that the schedule is calming down. (I always say that, don't I..)
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p.s. Can anyone guess the castle?

Filming in the Okanagan

2007-05-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Been a long time again, kiddies. I'm up in Kelowna filming "The Beast of Bottomless Lake" where we've been holed up for the past two weeks, making cinematic magic. I'm working with a terrific group of people - filming hijinks on Lake Okanagan.

Check out my buddy Fabrice's blog - it tells the story..

http://blog.fabricegrover.com

or the official production blog at

http://www.provostpictures.com

I'll be back in town next week filming "..Mortal Coil" and "Be All My Sins.." Talk to you then...

Don't be hatin' cuz he's salivatin'

2007-05-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

They're not as bad as everyone makes them out to be, you know. "Oooh a Wraith!" I mean really. Just because they suck the life out of you and feed on your flesh and blood doesn't mean they don't just need a little hug every now and then. They have feelings, worries, and mortgage payments to make too. Their friends and partners sometimes misunderstand them, their Darts sometimes breakdown just when they have a final exam to get to, or a court date to make. They burn their spindly insect-like fingers on the toaster when making cheese toasts (you didn't know they eat that, did you?...) Just like you and me.
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Take Ewan the Wraith for example (not his real name. His real name is Scott.) Nice guy, culled a coupl'a villages, decimated populations, you know - normal guy - turns out - he plays a wicked saxophone. Who knew? Loves Miles Davis (especially his later years), smokes Gitanes, worries about who will replace Tony Blair. Normal guy. Just need to talk to him to find out.
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Opened my eyes.
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Oh yeah. And he drives a pink Cadillac. (in the bg) no. wait. that's Momoa.

Hooray Hooray the First of May...

2007-05-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

Now that Dave Hewlett has a budding rap career I can consider myself lucky to get a photo with him. He's so-o-o busy now.. Props to you Mr H. It's quite funny.
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I'm back after a lengthy break - which is becoming a pattern I'm noticing about this blog. I'm more of a once or twice every two weeks kind of poster than a daily play-by-play guy.
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Congratulations to faithchan for correctly identifying Boston, Mass on the previous post. It's just outside of Filene's Basement, on the way up to the Common. We so rarely look up when we trudge through our cities, don't we? Particularly when we live in them.
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Just finished shooting a coupla' days worth of Reunion in my cup. Lotsa Momoa mojo going down all over the place. Gonna be wicked eppy.
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Also, this just in - fingers crossed - might be appearing in the CZECH REPUBLIC this summer, if all goes down well, and maybe an undisclosed US location. (snuggled up beside Cheney, I'm sure) Watch this space for breaking news.

Where in the World?.... Episode V

2007-04-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Okay kids. You know the drill. The first person to correctly identify where this was taken wins a dreamy picture of Dr Zelenka, featuring creepy eyes-that-follow-you-around-the-room, and a genuine 100% knock-off dollar store Stargate party hat - with adjustable elastic head-band to keep the hat on your head when you are mid-party. Both will be signed by the elusive and mumbly one, as soon as I can find him, and sent to your front door. So be sure to leave an email address, just in case...

Eureka...

2007-04-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

My alter-ego, the annoying voice inside my ahead, aka -David Nykl, who claims to be an "expert" on all things Zelenka, disappeared last night into an alternate universe...
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Coming soon to an iPod, TV, or LCD Monitor near you: David Nykl will be appearing in episode 3 ("Unpredictable") of SciFi's other hit series "Eureka", Season Two, as Dr Stephen Whitticus - a scientist with a secret of Global Warming proprtions.
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I had a lovely time on set with Colin Ferguson, Erica Cerra, Joe Morton, and Salli Richardson, as well as my lovely Eureka wife: Stephanie Von Pfetten. We finished at about 3:30 in the morning, so I didn't get to take any pictures of the set, I could barely get on my bike for the short trip home: we were filming Eureka about two-hundred feet "across the tracks" from my trailer on the Atlantis set, where I had been just a few hours earlier on Tabula Rasa.
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A double day in two universes for this Nykl guy, and no wormholes were needed. Just two wheels and some sprockets.
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I'm not sure when it airs. Does anyone out there watch the show? What's it like?...
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Oh, and before I forget, next installment of Guess the Location coming very soon...

No, but seriously...

2007-04-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

You're all too clever by half, aren't you...
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I was outed by Lili in Argentina in about, um, 80 seconds after posting. I mean, couldn't you give me at least one "Really?! I can't believe it.." kind of post? - No - you guys knew it was just too outlandish to be true... Sheesh. I mean, I tried to pick something that could happen. It's not like I was going to take over command of Atlantis or something...
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I didn't even know they had April Fools in Argentina.
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Well good for you. The real April Fools was the spelling of Joe's name. I was wondering who was going to correct me on that. I just see his name spelled with only one Z. I think you all know what I mean. ;-)
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I did some publicity yesterday for the MGM website - a short interview in front of the gate. It was a very pleasant interview, but I felt like a real doofus doing it. It was mostly about the back half of season three, which was shot months ago, and I couldn't remember anything about it... So if you see it and I come across as not knowing what I'm talking about... you're right.
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I'll leave you with some pictures from a costume fitting from a couple of weeks ago...

OMFG

2007-04-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this very quickly, because I still can't quite believe it: I just had a lengthy phone call with Joe Mallozi and he told me that they've been discussing having Zelenka replace McKay as Chief Science Officer of Atlantis! Can you believe it! How awesome is that!
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Details are not certain yet, but he said they'd like to do it in the mid season two parter after an "incident" befalls Rodney on Sateda. "Can I tell the fans?" I asked. "Go ahead", said Joe.
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How 'bout that?!!!

I've been away...

2007-03-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Long gaps between postings - I know - much going on. Much much much. There's peril around every corner here on season 4. It just doesn't stop.
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Did any of you come out to the con here in Vancouver last weekend? How was it? I was out of town and unable to attend, regrettably, but I understand there was much going on - from movie screenings to bagpipes in the rain *waves to Paul*. Hope you all had fun.
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I'll do another "guess the location" post soon for that coveted stargate party hat and signed piccie - I gotta find a good one though, because you guys are sharp!

It doesn't always smell nice...

2007-03-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

It all depends on where your oxygen intake is situated...
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It has been extremely busy out here - I can't even begin to explain where we are right now - suffice to say: it doesn't look good.
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I managed to record a six second databurst this morning. It's on my website, in a secret location....
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Help us!!!

Honduras

2007-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

It was awfully nice of the Producers to fly us all deep below the Tropic of Cancer for the upcoming scenes in Doppleganger. It was quite the shoot. Fraught with capital D Danger. That's John Zulinski trying to signal a plane to get us out of the Anaconda cave. (Remind me to tell you that story one day...) Then there were the scorpions, jungle ticks, and the terrifying "toothpick fish" incident with Dave Hewlett. Ask him about it.
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We got the scenes we needed, despite the duress. But no time to relax by the beach - we were back in the studios after lunch (mussels and lime chicken - thanks Anthea) in time for a long nap and more grueling shooting. It was so hard, as a matter of fact, that Jason just put on his jacket and left the set forever saying something like "later suckers..."
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All in a day's work...

On your mark, get set...

2007-02-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

Go.
And they're off.
Almost.
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Shooting of season four begins March 1st - one week from today - back at the good ol' Bridge Studios. I dropped in yesterday to pick up the first three scripts - "Doppleganger", "Lifeline", and "Adrift" and to get fitted for THE SAME OLD BLUE SHIRT I ALWAYS WEAR. Yup. It's still there.
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It was nice to see everyone again - there's a few new faces and changes in the crew. I stopped in to say hi to Joe Malozzi, Martin Wood, Carl Binder and Martin Gero; John Smith and the Office crew. Everyone was busy-like as they always are. Nice. I like. High five.
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Flipping through the pages, there's some pretty interesting stuff coming up, Zelenka-wise. Particularly the ________ with the _________ and the look on her face after I _______. Very cool.
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(You hate it when I do that don't you?) Doppleganger is first up, and it's a big one for the good Doktor. We shoot it first although it'll be the third episode in on season 4. I look forward to working with Mr Cooper.
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Hope you're all well, nice to read your comments and I'll try to post as much as I can during the busy filming year. Gotta go, I've got to start learning lines...

The Fastest Man Alive

2007-02-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

He stood still just long enough to snap these photos. Boy can he move. Especially when it comes to getting the the bar and back.
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Thank you Tanja for the photos.

I've got the best fans in the world...

2007-02-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

As Borat would say, WAWAWEEWA!
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WolfEvents Pegasus Two is now in the books. The chairs are folded, the Sharpies dried out, and the Jedi Chefs have almost sobered up. Almost.
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What fun it was. It was an absolute pleasure seeing you all again - from Saskatchewan to Sardinia - you came in gaggles. I met many of you not only from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, but also Germany, Holland, Belgium and France. (I Cesky tam byly!) And... AND.. I had a chance to speak with my favourite childhood superhero: The Flash.
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Thanks for all your gifts and support.
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We begin filming in a few weeks time.. the signs all point to an interesting year four! Fingers crossed for a banner Zelenka year!
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I leave you with some piccies from da U.K.

Photos of Earth IV

2007-01-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

You'll never get this one...
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Okay STOP! Goodness. (Hmmm, why DID I ask that question?...)
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I'm pretty darn sure (85%) that I'll be going to Pegasus 2 in London, February 3-4. Negotiations continue!!!
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I look forward to meeting the North European / UK Sector of "The Crazy New Worldwide Phenomenon known as Zelenkism" as it continues its march around the world. Look forward to meeting you!

"I Wouldn't Belong to Any Club That Would Have Me"

2007-01-23T00:21:00.000-08:00

Well would'ja lookit that. The "David Nykl Yahoo! Group" now exists. Sounds a bit enthusiastic. What's it mean?...
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What do Yahoo Groups do?
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What?
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I have a question. Should I go to Pegasus 2 in London? Anyone going to be out there in a coupla weeks now..?.. anyone?
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Just a - you know - question.

Kde jste, znalci českých vesnic?

2007-01-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Nice work Carolyn. Just goes to show that the best knowledge of small southern bohemian towns comes from Wichita, Kansas. Partial points for the guess of "Southern Bohemia" and "taken from a church somewhere". Although I also like "from a train window" (man, those trains really FLY...) and Vienna, Czech Republic. :-)
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Did any of you turn up anything interesting about CZ in your searches?

What's Up With All the Squirrels, Piranhas, and Lemmings?

2007-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it really is a faraway place - the Earth Internet. Particularly certain corners of it. I hope it all turns out...
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At the risk of turning this into a trivia site I'll post ONE MORE and then maybe NO MORE of these pictures. This is meant to be a SERIOUS and NECESSARY communication tool and not some place you go to while away time while bored at work.
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waitaminit...
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The winner of THIS trivia picture guess (remember - I want exact location) gets yet another super-ultra durable Zelenka Picture, printed on extra absorbent paper, featuring eyes-that-follow-you-around-the-room-in-a-creepy-yet-strangely-endearing way, and a completely non-official Dollar Store Knock Off Stargate Party hat. How can you turn that down.
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Now let me see.... how about this one:

Photos of Earth III

2007-01-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Last one.
This is fun. Okay, for real this time - whoever gets this one gets a Zelenka SuperPhoto Deluxe, complete with signature, featuring eyes-that-follow-you-around-the-room and extra bonus stargate party hat. For real.
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If you guess correctly, you have to email me a mailing address though, so I can send it to you.
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I'll leave this one open for a few days...
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Curious...

Photos of Earth II

2007-01-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, smartguys. How 'bout THIS ONE?

Photos of Earth

2007-01-12T23:47:00.000-08:00

Can you believe the beauty?!!
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I got this picture in a recent databurst from a friend in the Maltese Government. Can you guess where it is?
..

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Technician Chuck Raised by Wolves

2007-01-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Most people don't know this, but our very own Chucknician - the glue that holds the control room together - was raised by wolves in a suburban Toronto park. This well guarded secret was let out during the annual Atlantis Christmas party where Chuck and Dr Vogel got notoriously drunk and the truth was let out. Upon checking his personal records (you wouldn't believe the passwords I have access to...) I found his SGC application indicated he "...had a close-knit childhood" and "moved around quite a bit". I tried to approach him on the subject the next day but he just growled and said something like "You don';t know what it's like..." I thought it best to just leave it there.
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Just goes to show you may think you know who you're working with -- but do you really?...

Have a Peaceful, Healthy, and Inspiring Christmas

2006-12-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'll be away from the electronic fireplace for a while, so I wish you all a great Christmas Season -- may it be full of the people you would want it to be; be good to each other out there, and I hope to resume transmissions in the New Year.
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Vše nejlepší, Vám ve vlasti, hezkého ježíška - děkuju moc za spousta emajlu a dopisu plných hezkých slov. Brzy snad na videnou !
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PF 2007.
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End transmission....

2006-12-22T01:57:00.001-08:00

Okay. What about this:

or this:

www.davidnykl.com