Robert Picardo Joins 'Stargate: Atlantis'

Robert Picardo, best known to genre fans as the Doctor -- the holographic medical system that spent seven years on "Star Trek: Voyager" -- has joined "Stargate: Atlantis" full time as the new head of the Atlantis expedition.

Picardo begins filming new episodes of "Atlantis" for its fifth season in February in Vancouver, B.C. Production on "Atlantis" is not affected by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike since the writing team are Canadian and not a part of the American union asked to take part in the work stoppage.

Picardo will reprise his role as Richard Wooley, who in "Stargate SG-1" was a civilian representative of the International Oversight Committee, and has been a recurring character on both "SG-1" and "Atlantis." He will replace Amanda Tapping's Samantha Carter, who took over for Elizabeth Weir (Tori Higginson) in the fourth season as the leader of the expedition.

Tapping will star in a television version of her Web series "Sanctuary," which recently got picked up by SciFi.

Returning for the fifth season are Joe Flanigan as Lt. Col. Sheppard, David Hewlett as Rodney McKay, Rachel Luttrell as Teyla, Jason Momoa as Ronon and Jewel Staite as Jennifer Keller. Making guest appearances this season include Tapping, Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson and Paul McGillion as Carson Beckett.

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