Robert C. Cooper Explained

Robert C. Cooper
Birth Date:October 14, 1968
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:Executive producer
screenwriter
Spouse:Hillary Cooper
Children:Emma Cooper
Megan Elizabeth Cooper

Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe. He also co-created both Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe with Brad Wright. Cooper has written and produced many episodes of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe as well as directed a number of episodes.

Career

Cooper started his writing career with a series of films, the first of which was Blown Away. He joined the crew of as a story editor until he was promoted to a writer in 1996 where he worked until moving to Stargate SG-1 in 1997 as an executive story editor.[1] [2]

Whilst working on Stargate SG-1, Cooper is credited with writing 52 episodes.[2] Cooper became a co-executive producer of Stargate SG-1 in season 4, and a full executive producer in season 5. He made a cameo appearance in the Stargate SG-1 fifth season episode "Wormhole X-Treme!", in which he was a staff writer who was told to get back to work.

Cooper was responsible for creating much of the backstory of the Stargate universe. According to Stargate SG-1: The Essential Scripts, Cooper's ideas about the history of the Stargate universe were his own; he wasn't working from ideas in a series bible. Cooper created the Ancients, the race that built the stargates. He also developed the idea of the Alliance of Four Races, even though two of the races had been invented by other writers (the Nox and the Asgard created by Hart Hanson and Katharyn Powers respectively).

In December 2003, it was announced that Cooper and Brad Wright had been working on a Stargate SG-1 spin-off series titled Stargate Atlantis.[3]

Cooper made his directorial debut with "Crusade" a ninth season episode of Stargate SG-1. In the 10th season premiere episode "Flesh and Blood", Cooper's daughter Emma played the 4 year old Adria.[4] Later in the tenth season of Stargate SG-1, in early scenes of the episode "Talion", his older daughter Megan Elizabeth Cooper played a jaffa girl.[5] Cooper also directed "Unending" the final episode of Stargate SG-1. Following the conclusion of SG-1, Cooper wrote and directed the direct-to-DVD movie .

After Stargate Atlantis was cancelled, Cooper and Brad Wright went on to create another spin-off, Stargate Universe which premiered on October 2, 2009.[6] In June 2010, it was revealed that Cooper was "stepping back to ... a consulting role" for the end of Stargate Universe season 2, before leaving entirely.[7] [8]

Filmography

Film

TitleYearCredited asNotes
DirectorProducerWriter
scope=rowBlown Away1992
scope=rowThe Dark1993
scope=rowNo Contest1994
scope=rowThe Club1994
scope=rowThe Impossible Elephant2001
scope=row2008
scope=row2008

Television

The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.

TitleYearCredited asNetworkNotes
CreatorDirectorWriterExecutive
producer
scope=rowPsi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal1996–97 (3)
scope=rowFlash Forward1997 (1)
scope=rowStargate SG-11997–2007 (2) (58)Showtime
Syfy
co-producer (1998–99: 12 episodes), supervising producer (1999–2000: 11 episodes), producer (1999: 11 episodes), co-executive producer (2000–01: 22 episodes), executive producer (2001–07: 126 episodes)
scope=rowBest Actress2000E!Television film
scope=rowStargate Atlantis2004–09 (3) (10)Syfy
scope=rowStargate Universe2009–11 (2) (9)Syfy
scope=rowDark Matter2015–16 (2)CTV Sci-Fi Channelconsulting producer (12 episodes)
scope=rowDirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency2016–17 (2)BBC America
scope=rowUnspeakable2019 (2) (4)CBC Television

Awards

Out of fifteen nominations, Cooper has received four awards.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Official Stargate Website: Crew Member.. MGM. 2009-08-10.
  2. Web site: Robert C. Cooper. IMDB. 2009-08-10.
  3. Web site: GateWorld – Stargate News: December 2003(Spin-Off News). Gateworld. 2009-08-10.
  4. Web site: GateWorld – Stargate SG-1 Season Ten: "Flesh and Blood". Gateworld. 2009-08-10.
  5. Web site: GateWorld – Stargate SG-1 Season Ten: "Talion". Gateworld. 2009-08-10.
  6. Web site: Syfy sets fall premiere dates, schedule . July 20, 2009 . 2009-08-10. Sci Fi Wire.
  7. Web site: June 19, 2010: The Farewell Tour! Back On Top! Janina's New Music Vid!. Joseph. Mallozzi. June 19, 2010. 2010-06-21.
  8. Web site: Robert C. Cooper departing Stargate. Darren. Sumner. Gateworld. June 20, 2010. 2010-06-21.
  9. Web site: Robert C. Cooper – Awards. 2009-08-10. IMDB.