Sci-Fi Storm

So the first panel from the weekend’s Syfy Digital Press Tour was for the shows Eureka and Warehouse 13, with a preview of their special holiday episodes (sorry, I don’t have video of that), but you can find a full length video of the panel, along with a higher-resolution video (but poorer audio quality and lighting – the camera had trouble with some of the backlighting) of a particular question.

Mark Stern, Executive VP of Original Content, said that, “Ever since we’ve been doing Warehouse and Eureka I’ve wanted to do Christmas episodes or holiday episodes, also wanted to do musical episodes.” And there are upcoming musical episodes, apparently…but for now we get a holiday episode of each show, on December 7th, starting at 9pm with Eureka, and 10pm for Warehouse 13.

In Eureka, Jack Carter will tell a holiday Eureka tale to a bunch of snowbound kids, while only in Eureka can Christmas ornaments potentially destroy the town (what CAN’T destroy that town? They should do an episode where it turns out there is no danger, and Jack just goes home and rests…), with Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live) plays a scientist, who might be a bit more than that…and Matt Frewer also returns as the eccentric Jim Taggart, who has been studying “Santalogy”, with which he insists he will prove the existence of Santa Claus. We’ll also get Christmas carols and “Dickensian costumes”, according to Neil Grayston.

In Warehouse 13, Claudia’s brother returns, and tries to get a family Christmas together, including getting Artie together with his estranged father, played by Judd Hirsch. Meanwhile, Pete and Myka are sent to hunt down a malevolent Santa Claus.

Allison Scagliotti (Claudia, Warehouse 13) and Neil Grayston (Eureka) then came out, and watched the previews of the holiday episodes, and then answered questions. Allison and Neil are best friends after having met at Comic-Con 2009 for their respective panels and talked about their crossover interactions – but Mark wouldn’t speak about any future “interactions” between the two.

Allison talked about the AllisonScag4Cassie movement, which has gotten a talk with the producers.

Allison was asked about her favorite artifact from the show, Edgar Allen Poe’s pen, which makes whatever you write come true. “If I had it…I would write my own multi-million dollar movie contract, draw a picture of the perfect boyfriend, and…a deed to, I don’t know – a cottage on Oahu,” she said.

Neil’s favorite prop on the show is the flying sky bike. “[It’s] the inner 10 year old…the idea of being able to jump on the thing and go BRRRRRRREEEEEE and fly around everywhere is the most exciting thing to me ever.”

Neil was then asked about Felicia Day coming on the show, and mentioned that Felecia, Wil Wheaton and Fargo have a “sorta thingie happening.” Both actors “fit well in the show.”

I asked a question regarding cast chemistry, on and off the set…which segues into a talk about directing…

[hana-flv-player video=/extras/Eureka_WH13_question.flv width=640 height=360 /]

Lastly, they were asked what scene they would write if they could. Allison would do an undercover job with a punk band, and the artifact? The stage door of CBGBs. “Once you go in, you can’t go out – you are stuck in 1977…Stunt casting? Debbie Harry. Done.” For Neil, Mark mentioned that this season has been kind of a wish fulfillment. “Yeah, Fargo runs GD,” he says, and Allison interjects, “Gets it on with two redheads, hello?”

These two were fun to talk to, and were great together. We can only hope that Mark was remaining quiet about future crossovers as to not spoil anything. Either that or a separate show with the two are planned 🙂

Here is the complete panel, with better audio:

[hana-flv-player video=/extras/Eureka_WH13_Holiday_Panel.flv width=320 height=200 autoload=false /]

And some hi-res images from the Eureka episodes: