The Art of Imagination

Joe Flanigan on the iconic Stargate Atlantis, how Hollywood is changing, and addressing real-world issues through storytelling

Joe Flanigan’s starring role as John Sheppard in the beloved space exploration series Stargate Atlantis has brought viewers joy for decades. The show ran for five incredible, action-packed years, often crossing over with the ten-year hit Stargate SG-1 during their overlapping seasons. The Stargate franchise means a lot to many people, with beautiful production design, fantastic characters and storylines, and a whole lot of heart, so I’ve been looking forward to speaking with Joe, especially since his background is unusual for someone in the arts. After starting out as an advance man for the White House and a stint at a magazine, he took up acting on a whim and ended up developing a real passion for it. But he also remains heavily involved in social matters and has been focusing on those topics more than ever since the wildfires and pandemic, so sitting down to hear his insights on not only Hollywood but also the state of the world was a very different and interesting experience. Stargate Atlantis Trailer: All Seasons [https://www.tvguide.com/videos/stargate-atlantis/1030245444/stargate-atlantis/3650841/] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07HLKZCQB/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s1] | Hulu [https://www.hulu.com/series/stargate-atlantis-2241f10e-e0fd-41cc-97f4-a8d7b7885008] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/stargate-atlantis/umc.cmc.1kux8pjhbkc3yb2uaibyv5ukd] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/show/SCxT4lZ5v_LOkk1ym-pQ1uqA] | Fandango [https://athome.fandango.com/content/browse/details/STARGATE-ATLANTIS-Season-1/426513] DVD: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002EL4RLQ] | Best Buy [https://www.bestbuy.com/product/stargate-atlantis-seasons-1-5-dvd/JXC8VS6C23] See Trailer: Season 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTVWaNwTRaE] | Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2idzg4dBWU] Streaming: Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/see/umc.cmc.3s4mgg2y7h95fks9gnc4pw13m] | Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/See-Season-1/dp/B0D541216K]

Sian Reese-Williams on her latest series Still Waters, the reality of a career on screen, and the quirks of playing Margaret Thatcher

Sian Reese-Williams is a constant presence in the world of British and Welsh-language dark drama, from her lead role on the internationally successful crime noir series Craith/Hidden to her new spinoff of the mystery Y Golau/The Light in the Hall, titled Y Golau: Dŵr/Still Waters, which sees her character from season one take a personal interest in an unresolved mystery that has haunted the region for years. She's done many wonderful projects, but aside from her beloved role as Detective Cadi, her absolutely brilliant (and hilarious) performance as Margaret Thatcher in the historical drama Y Sŵn remains a favorite. Sian has been through the many ups and downs that define a long career in film and television, and it was wonderful diving into the details of her work together. Y GOLAU / THE LIGHT IN THE HALL Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piRjZZr9cww] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/The-Light-in-the-Hall/dp/B0BZRKQ654/] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-light-in-the-hall/umc.cmc.5qvp9yatbjfkua14xfryp0na9] | AMC [https://www.amcplus.com/shows/the-light-in-the-hall--1058191] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/lightinthehall/series1/] CRAITH / HIDDEN Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxit7lDm0hM] | Season 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Y5dMbZUFI] | Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7pI5QsSr3Q] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Hidden/dp/B0DMT8VDBP] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/hidden/] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/hidden/umc.cmc.mr2tdlpei8t85hebll0ic9oq] 35 DIWRNOD / 35 DAYS Trailer: Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXpDsjKIGkE] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07WCRY666/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s3] | Britbox [https://www.britbox.com/us/season/35_Days_S1_p07gnq0p] | Roku [https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/2adaccc31b935622858dfdd105e9df63/35-days/season-3] WOLF Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6qQJiBm0eI] Streaming: HBO Max [https://www.hbomax.com/ad/en/shows/wolf-2023/2073bff2-52ff-402a-a7c1-0952dd58781e] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/wolf/umc.cmc.1ivu1zaenw3farlga433ps756] | Amazon [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Wolf/0LOAO98J19T90P3TZ5HXYE4P6X] | BBC [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fsffbp] Y GWYLL / HINTERLAND Trailer: Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV8hEamsL2s] Streaming: Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/hinterland/] | Amazon [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0FBP5GHFPD3Z07R9E2JGQ0XU38/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s3] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/hinterland/umc.cmc.2692p4957wmic7jcyqtogqb5b] Y SŴN / THE SOUND Trailer: Bilingual [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34J41ilglvQ] Streaming: BBC [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fc10nr] OTHER Check out Sian's ceramics at SianyPots [https://www.sianypots.com/]

Simon Evans on the BBC’s hit comedy series Staged, the magic of illusion, and taking creative risks

Simon Evans is the writer and director of the BBC's Staged, which ran for three seasons, filmed almost entirely over Zoom during the pandemic in a revolutionary approach to filmmaking. The series starred David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and Simon himself alongside a revolving door of guest appearances from an incredible lineup of actors such as Dame Judi Dench, bringing levity, laughs, and real joy to many people during an extremely dark time in a style that managed to feel both mainstream and experimental. Simon also has an extensive background as a theatre director, writer, and actor, including his original double bill The Vanishing Man / The Extinction Event, through which he captured his passion for illusion and demonstrated his skill as a magician, and his fantastic new production of Cyrano De Bergerac, starring Adrian Lester at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He's a multitalented artist and, in my humble opinion, a comedic genius, so it was brilliant speaking with him about the magic of live performance and growing alongside his surprise hit series. Staged Streaming: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08WLYTD8Q | https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/staged/umc.cmc.72xfslvc50izib1o10nwc0z7 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p08dnl67/staged | https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/7b1bc66057f852748e1973e80e930a8a/staged | https://www.britbox.com/us/season/Staged_S1_10119569 | https://iview.abc.net.au/show/staged Extra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqXoGgP2l3U | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqBNiSmAKJw Cyrano De Bergerac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFX9EF8x7w4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di3xizmD0yw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxNeoOfEi8s The Vanishing Man / The Extinction Event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iJ7H5lUO0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxjyxijAjSg Other Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoWlt7mwmzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7pKrFnMek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZuvZ9GRDk0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhIlzW2kWs https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-resistible-donmar-warehous-14331

Mali Tudno Jones on the art of storytelling, making an intense prison drama, and majestic equines

Mali Tudno Jones is an accomplished Welsh actor and writer with a long background in both theatre and film. She received a BAFTA Cymru nomination for her performance as the wild Nia in the murder mystery series 35 Diwrnod/35 Days and was most recently Linda the chaplain in the intense prison drama Bariau/Inside. I've been keeping up with her work ever since seeing her as Rachel, the pathologist and Cadi's love interest in Craith/Hidden, and particularly enjoyed her hilarious appearance in the dark comedy series Merched Parchus. She's also written a variety of scripts for stage, radio, and film, and is a passionate reader and storyteller, so it was an absolute blast catching up with her today. BARIAU / INSIDE Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S8siMDEAec] | Season 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAC9vWT7pfM] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0F9Z5BR9D] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/inside] 35 DIWRNOD / 35 DAYS Trailer: Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXpDsjKIGkE] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07WCRY666/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s3] | Britbox [https://www.britbox.com/us/season/35_Days_S1_p07gnq0p] | Roku [https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/2adaccc31b935622858dfdd105e9df63/35-days/season-3] CRAITH / HIDDEN Trailer: Season 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Y5dMbZUFI] | Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7pI5QsSr3Q] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Hidden/dp/B0DMT8VDBP] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/hidden/] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/hidden/umc.cmc.mr2tdlpei8t85hebll0ic9oq] 15 DAYS Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkxnRPo_uT8] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Hidden/dp/B0DMT8VDBP] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/hidden/] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/hidden/umc.cmc.mr2tdlpei8t85hebll0ic9oq] YR AMGUEDDFA / THE MUSEUM Trailer: Season 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KomZMhq4IDA] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/15-Days/dp/B081XPF65C] | BritBox [https://www.britbox.com/us/season/15_Days_S1_p07kvwfc] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/15-days/umc.cmc.68t2wuxmwh2qj0l1ah0yo7fer] | TVNZ+ [https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/the-museum] | Roku [https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/15-days-to-murder?id=fcaa25ce314957e782db2ee6bb2212fc] MERCHED PARCHUS Streaming: YouTube [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMUgzTukecfMW59DKnWGTZcQrNfKLEgDB&si=QazBzlNtOZc7ePgz]

Gwydion Rhys on Welsh performing arts, adapting from stage to screen, and the challenges of portraying mental illness

Gwydion Rhys is a wonderful actor and singer who has spent his life performing on stage and later screen, playing a variety of guest and supporting roles in major Welsh-language and bilingual TV series such as Y Gwyll/Hinterland and 35 Days alongside leading roles in theatre, such as Alan Turing in To Kill a Machine. Most recently, he was prime suspect Ryan in the murder mystery series Cleddau/The One That Got Away and led the fantastic dramatic series Creisis, which tells the heartbreaking story of a psychiatric nurse as he falls into progressively severe psychosis. I've enjoyed Gwydion's work ever since seeing his unhinged appearance on Craith/Hidden, but his starring role in Creisis (I was shocked to learn he was in every scene - if you've ever worked on set, you know just how crazy that is) was phenomenal. I was genuinely shattered by his performance and hope to see much more of him on screen in the future, so it was lovely speaking with him about his background in the arts and experiences in both theatre and film. Creisis / Crisis Trailer: Welsh [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUSMNpY-ijQ] Streaming: BBC iplayer [https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0hjhs2q/creisis] Cleddau / The One That Got Away Trailer: Welsh [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr1VsaSK6Fk] | English [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oy5gx7tSRA] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/The-One-That-Got-Away/dp/B0F252FQ2J] | Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/onethatgotaway/] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/the-one-that-got-away/umc.cmc.1vrvb1em4qm1ge8j0wup8svi5] | ABC iview [https://iview.abc.net.au/show/one-that-got-away] 35 Diwrnod / 35 Days Trailer: Season 3 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXpDsjKIGkE] Streaming: Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07WCRY666/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s3] | Britbox [https://www.britbox.com/us/season/35_Days_S1_p07gnq0p] | Roku [https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/2adaccc31b935622858dfdd105e9df63/35-days/season-3] Y Gwyll / Hinterland Trailer: Season 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Ekb_8gYbM] Streaming: Acorn TV [https://acorn.tv/hinterland/] | Amazon [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0KJV4HRO3XCEK8GY6KHOLY6650/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s2] | Apple [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/hinterland/umc.cmc.2692p4957wmic7jcyqtogqb5b] Stage Watch the trailer for To Kill a Machine [https://youtu.be/d1iU6NptLqM?si=hQJ1yFVBNJ-YgPMB&t=10]. Performing Gethsemane [https://youtu.be/DKn3h3yjkA4?si=_YZi_xY7oA_zSOPM&t=25] from JC Superstar. Beautiful range of notes and emotion. And some songs with his brother, Trystan Llyr Griffiths, if you enjoy a more classical style: Blodwen a Meri, Yn Y Bore [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTJiQuRioG0], Ti a dy ddonia [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLfQ-Aw2DcM], Dros Gymru'n Gwlad [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-T4CcaqSrs]. Great pair of tenors.