Sanctuary has come a long way since it started life as an Internet series produced out of a crumbling brick building in Vancouver's Gastown district. What was then an independently financed series of eight Webisodes attracted devoted fans ever before they debuted. Those fans were rewarded with a high quality product buttressed by in impressive cast and crew that included creator Damian Kindler, director Martin Wood, executive producer and star Amanada Tapping, executive producer N. John Smith and Tapping's co-stars Robin Dunne, Emilie Ullerup and Christopher Heyerdahl. Several of these personnel were already familiar with each other through their involvement in Stargate, so the ingredients were already in place for a successful and innovative foray into new media.

Things didn't quite go according to plan with the Web venture, partly due to the propensity of Internet piracy. However, the show attracted enough admirers to encourage The Movie Network in Canada and Syfy (then SCI FI Channel) in the United States to commit to a 13-episode season on the old-fashioned medium of television. With more money, wider reach and a longer episodic commitment than the Internet series could afford, Sanctuary evolved in leaps and bounds. The production team invested in improved FX technology to realize the virtual sets in which much of the show takes place, expanded the mythology and set stories in exotic and sometime torturous locations that would have been too expensive without CGI.

Ever greater strides are promised for the second season of Sanctuary, which debuts on Syfy and Canada's Space Channel on October 9  at 10/9c. To watch a promo for the new season, click on the video tab above. Stars Amanada Tapping and Robin Dunne recently took part in a Q&A session attended by CinemaSpy.com to discuss the show. In it they talked about the evolution of Sanctuary from the Webisodes through Season 1 into Season 2 and highlights for them and their characters, Dr. Helen Magnus and her assistant, psychiatrist Will Zimmerman.

Question: I saw the [Season 2] premier and things are definitely different. I'm curious how the dynamics are going to change between the characters. How are things going to be different this year with the characters relationships?

Amanda Tapping: I think because it's our second season you're going to see a lot of changes in terms of the interpersonal relationships. I think Season 1 was very much about introducing everybody, introducing the Sanctuary itself, the creatures, what everyone does and where they come from. So now [in Season 2] we get to play within those parameters. And obviously ... we ended Season 1 with a massive cliffhanger and start with this very highly intense two—part episode.

And not to tease anything up but it looks like things are changing at the Sanctuary. Episode 3 will be very much about trying to rectify that situation and I don't know how much we're allowed to say. There are changes and we are bringing in new characters. You'll see a lot more of Henry this year than you did last year. We're bringing in a wonderful new character named Kate Freelander. The relationship between and Druitt and Magnus changes and most importantly the relationship between Magnus and Will becomes, I think, so much deeper and so much more intense.

Robin Dunne: I think it's because everything is really falling apart around us. There's going to be more of blunt relationship, more of like a brutal honesty between all of the characters. Particularly Magnus and Will because really our lives depend on it. We can't afford to be anything but brutally honest with each other. And I think there's going to be definite strains in the relationship over this season. But because of those strains, I think all the relationships will get stronger because of that.

Question: How do you guys feel about working on the green screen and not really having a set. Does that affect the way you act?

Amanda Tapping: I actually think it makes the work a little more honest in a strange way. I think that you get so used to having stuff around you and things to play with and you hear the expression actors chewing scenery.We actually can't do that on our show. This is initially frustrating but I think what ends up happening is it becomes about the words and the moment and the actual true, honest interaction between these two characters. There's nothing else to play with so it really does become a little more honest in some ways.

Robin Dunne: Yeah, I was just going to say you've used the analogy that it's kind of like theater and it really is. I mean because there's no set there most of time or a lot of the time anyway we just have each other to rely on. But also, the benefits that we get. I mean, this show, because of the amount of green screen we use, we can go anywhere, we can do anything and the possibilities are limitless. So to have that luxury, any small difficulties we have working with the green screen are well worth it when you see the final product.

Question: Can both of you kind of tell us how you got the parts in the show to begin with?

Amanda Tapping: Yeah it was really sweet. I, of course, know Martin and Damian from Stargate. I've know Martin for 13, 14 years now and Damian for about seven or eight years. And Damian had written a script back in 2001 as a spec script and pulled it out, dusted it off and handed it to Martin and said, "What do you think of this? Do you think it would make a good series, or we should do something with this." And Martin said, "You have to give this to Amanda." And so, they drove it over to my house and I read the script and fell absolutely madly in love with it and with Helen and the three of us sat down. And when it came to casting the part of Will there was no choice. Martin talked about this wonderful young actor named Robin Dunne and how great he was as a person and how wonderful he was as an actor. Robin and Martin worked together on a film. You can tell them about that Robin. And basically we looked him up on IMDB. "He's super cute," is what I said. "We must cast him." And he flew up and met with us and it was just like instant, 'Yes'.

Robin Dunne: I'd worked with Martin about 10 years ago on a movie we shot in Romania that shall not be named. But I'd kept in touch with Marty over the years and he called me up and said "Look, we're doing this thing. Can I send you the script?" I read it and was blown away by it.

Amanda Tapping: And he said I promise you it's not anything like Teenage Space Vampires.

Robin Dunne: Yes, or the movie that should not be named, as I said. So, yeah, I came over to Vancouver and I think the chemistry was instantaneous. I just felt immediately at home and meeting Amanda and meeting Damian Kindler and the whole crew it just felt like, "Yeah this is the job that I want to do," and the feeling has really sustained over the entire time. And it's just been such a great job to have and a lot of fun and, you know, a challenge at the same time.

Question: For each of you, what lessons or experiences from Season 1 particularly shaped how you approached Season 2?

Robin Dunne: Season 1 for Will was a lot about sort of coming into this world and not really being sure about it and having one foot in his old life and one foot in his new life and not really sure which way he was going to go. And I think definitely Season 2 for Will is he's let go of his old life and he's really resigned himself to the fact that he lives in this world and he just has to own it because this is where he lives.

Definitely the approach to this job for myself was much the same. I'd never had a job that's this size before, being on a series like this. Particularly this type of series with the green screen and everything that comes along with it. Certainly Season 1 was a lot about me trying to get used to being in this world and working on this show. And I think Season 2, from an acting standpoint, was more about being comfortable with it and trying to take the character to a deeper place.

Amanda Tapping: Yeah, I think for both of us there was a lot of confidence going into Season 2. Season 1 for me, Magnus, is such an enigma. She's such an eccentric, different character that I have. There's so many things that she does that I go, "What?" And I have to wrap my head around her and go, "Okay, okay, I can figure this out, it has to make sense to me." And Season 1 was a lot of trying to figure out what makes this woman tick. And also just the physicality of her. She's a far more sexual character than I've ever played and going literally from Army boots to stilettos was a transition. There's a lot of things about her that I have to get used to. But in Season 2 I felt more confident. There was a really beautiful, organic relationship development between Will and Magnus and between Robin and I. And I'm so comfortable with him. I think that that was part of...You start with a new cast and it's getting used to each other. And with Robin and I it happened so quickly and it just felt so natural and organic.

We've traveled around the world together and I think that so much of what you're seeing on screen in Season 2 is this level of comfort and this level of confidence with each other. I'm not afraid to try anything and I don't think Robin is either. So Season 2, what I've learned is just it's safe. It's totally safe.

Robin Dunne: Yeah. I definitely think every day we work that the environment gets safer. It feels safer and out of that you're able to do your best work when you feel totally at ease with everybody around you and totally trusting in them. And that's certainly how I feel as well.

Amanda Tapping: Yeah, it's a huge part of it.