September 19, 2017: In a Hold-Your-Breath Holding Pattern! Here, have a script!

I mean, seriously. I respect the need for due diligence, a desire to do a thorough analysis before making a decision. But could we pick up the pace here?

As another day comes and goes without word, my writerly mind goes places. Have they forgetten about us? Did the individual we were talking to go on vacation and forget to tell anyone? Is he or she trapped under a fallen refrigerator, hoping against hope that someone will send help, blindly assuming: “I was supposed to get back to them on Friday! I didn’t, so they’re going to assume something is wrong and send help!”. How long can someone go without water? We’re going on five days now!

As we wait, let’s discuss the various options that have been bandied about…

A 26 Episode 2 Season Order

Kind of scary insofar as it would require us to shoot straight through – and, oh yeah, come up with twenty-six scripts in a compressed time frame. Yes, we used to do a full 22 back on Stargate and, for a few years, actually produced 40 episodes a season between SG-1 and Atlantis, but back then we had a full writers’ room stacked with defacto showrunners (Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Paul Mullie, Martin Gero, Carl Binder, Alan McCullough, and myself). In this case, I’ll be doing the lion share of the writing and rewriting – and prepping and producing and post. Yes, I would probably suffer a nervous breakdown shortly after wrap but this scenario offers the best creative option, allowing me to unfurl my 5-season narrative as planned.

A Single Season 13 Episode Order

Sure, this is the scenario I’ve been operating under since we got the green light to do the show in the first place and, while the temptation would be there to proceed business as usual and script another season ending cliffhanger setting up the show’s fifth and final installment as per my original vision, this recent unpleasant experience would give me pause. Would I be better off not risking it and, instead, taking the 13 episode order to tie up all the loose ends – in which case I would be done after four seasons. Not the show, mind you, but I would be done. This one would present a real creative dilemma.

A Miniseries Order

Now while I know everyone (fans, cast, crew, and production) would prefer the two season order, I’m drawn to the prospect of being given anywhere from 6-8 episodes to wrap things up. While it would definitely be a challenge to tie up all those loose ends in such a small order, it would ensure that those 6-8 episodes would be packed with huge twists, turns, shocks, surprises, revelations and reveals.

A Two Hour Movie Order

Many would see this as a small “better than nothing” victory, but this option would be…well, creatively restrictive. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which I’d be able to wrap up anything in satisfactory fashion within a two hour time frame.

To everyone asking – the sets remain standing. For now. We in a hold-your-breath holding pattern until another production comes along and asks for the stages, at which point we have to clear out.

So – more waiting. And, tomorrow, a follow-up phone call with Suitor #2 who has always had my heart. If it’s not Dark Matter, I hope we partner up on something real soon.

I thank you, Dark Matter fandom, for you patience – and, in some cases, impatience. Please accept this as a small token of my appreciation:

DM EP101 14_11_27 Script PRODUCTION WHITE