Topic: Save the Stargate! SG1 cancelled! (Read 8448 times)

lb969 · « **on:** 21 Aug 2006, 17:01 »

Quote

Stargate SG-1 cancelled, Atlantis renewed
Monday - August 21, 2006 | by Darren Sumner

The future of Stargate is in question today, as SCI FI Channel has cancelled the long-running Stargate SG-1, Multichannel News reported today and a GateWorld source has confirmed. The news regrettably follows the airing of the show's milestone two-hundredth episode on Friday.

Stargate Atlantis, meanwhile, has been renewed for a fourth season, with the network hoping to see that the spin-off series can stand alone, according to a source.

SG-1 has struggled in the ratings all summer, with the record-breaking tenth season premiering with a 1.4 household rating -- down more than 20 percent from last season's average. After a brief climb to a 1.6 in its second week, the show fell to a 1.3 in week four.

Viewers and production personnel alike have blamed a number of factors for the show's dramatically lower ratings, from SCI FI and Sony's lack of promotion to the removal of anchor show Battlestar Galactica from the Friday night line-up, to new competition from such shows as USA's hit Monk.

Though also down significantly in the ratings this summer, Atlantis has consistently scored better than SG-1.

"Studio executives are working to identify an alternative outlet for Stargate SG-1," Multichannel News said, citing sources close to the production.

Stargate SG-1 premiered on Showtime in the United States in July, 1997, where it aired for five years before the pay cable network cancelled it. In 2002 MGM brokered a deal to continue production and move the show to SCI FI Channel, where it became the cable channel's biggest hit and aired ten times per week in reruns.

In addition to holding the record for the longest-running science fiction series ever produced in North America, the series is largely responsible for making SCI FI a Top 10 cable network. Though the writers intended to end the show several times, its larger, newfound audience on basic cable rejuvinated the series, extending its life far beyond the average science fiction series.

Series lead Richard Dean Anderson left the show in 2004, to be replaced by Ben Browder and Beau Bridges when the show relaunched in a new creative direction in Season Nine. Ratings remained strong, though no longer at their historic peak. The show's producers had even intended to rebrand the show Stargate Command, but SCI FI ultimately opted to stick with the established SG-1 name.

Ironically, this is the first year since Season Four that plans were already in place, both creatively and in signed actor contracts, for another year. The show has lived on year-to-year since moving to SCI FI, with the writers forced to write a possible series finale every year -- only to find the show renewed once again.

Following the September 22 mid-season finale, SCI FI Channel intends to air the final 10 episodes of Stargate SG-1 beginning in March, 2007, a source confirmed to GateWorld.

What is to come? Both the producers and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have expressed a desire to continue the hit franchise with not just Stargate Atlantis, but something new in the future -- be it an SG-1 feature film or TV mini-series, or a third television show. The benefits of a simultaneous dual production in Vancouver, with two projects sharing producers, writers, and crew members, are tremendous for the studio. And Stargate is owner MGM's flagship television property, having recently been compared to its venerable "James Bond" film franchise in importance.

MGM has a great deal invested in an expanding field of licensing, official conventions, syndication, and international TV distribution. Notable is the upcoming MMORPG video game Stargate Worlds, perhaps the franchise's largest licensed project to date, due out at the end of 2007.

Meanwhile, Stargate Atlantis will have the chance to step out of the shadow of its parent show and stand on its own two feet. Though the foundational chapter of the Stargate saga draws to a close, hope remains for the future.

An official announcement with additional details on the future of Stargate is expected this week. Stay with GateWorld for the very latest.

Stargate SG-1 airs Fridays at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on SCI FI Channel in the United States.

Please sign the Save the Stargate petition below!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Stargate/index.html

Its gotten 1475 signatures since 4 o'clock this afternoon!

If you're a SG1 fan, please spread the word!

Spinless · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 17:52 »

Isn't it the longest running sci-fi series that isn't Star Trek?
Dude, what more do you want? A movie that ties the whole thing up?

lb969 · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 19:05 »

Lets see... The show is written for season 11 already. By forcing the ending of season 10 this year, they must compress 1.5 seasons of new material into 15 episodes, or the team must magically find an uberweapon to wipe out the ori, and all evil in the galaxy.

I want to see them run season 11 to wrap everything up as it was intended.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 19:38 »

Quote from: Spinless

Isn't it the longest running sci-fi series that isn't Star Trek?

Stargate's already run longer than any individual Star Trek series, afik. If they keep spinning off it'll probably out-do it. It even has more episodes than Dr. Who, which has been running for 28 years, not counting breaks.

Garcin · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 20:20 »

Firefly gets cancelled less than a season in, but this schlock runs for 10 seasons? You've got to be fucking kidding me.

lb969 · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 20:35 »

Firefly was doomed from the start.

The execs had it in for it, with all the timeslot jumping, no contiguity to the episodes, and poor advertising/promotion.

All things aside, had Firefly been produced by someone like SciFi, they may well still be going.

Garcin · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 20:57 »

All absolutely true. But that doesn't make it any less sad.

Gryff · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 21:24 »

A PETITION? TO SAVE A SCI-FI SHOW?

ON THE INTERNET?!

Inlander · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 21:32 »

You forgot to put the qualifier "pretty lame" before "sci-fi show".

I mean, really.

And you guys don't even want to hear what I think of Babylon 5 and all the people who think it's the greatest thing ever done on the small screen.

Garcin · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 21:37 »

Sure we do. Come on, try us. Let 'er rip. You know you want to. Bet you've got some pretty choice words.

Inlander · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 21:40 »

Ech, I couldn't even be arsed.

Everyone! Back to the Stargate!!

Garcin · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 21:49 »

Tease. I was looking forward to some really acidic commentary.

Inlander · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 22:14 »

I'm confused about what all the italics are for.

Garcin · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 22:19 »

I'm trying to introduce emphasis into the internet colloquy.

Inlander · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 22:23 »

Which is an admirable aim, but it comes across more like sarcasm.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 23:01 »

I'm irate about it because Sci-Fi is screwing over another show like they did with Farscape but, to be honest, I can't be arsed to care past that.

They can't ever cancel Doctor Who.

Mnementh · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Aug 2006, 23:09 »

I love Stargate SG-1, but why not go out on top, and bring it back with a new movie?

I dunno. DAMNIT WHAT WILL I DO WITH MY FRIDAYS NOW.

öde · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 05:45 »

I'd choose Stargate SG1 over a cure for AIDs.

Mnementh · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 06:54 »

This is sort of a dumb move for Sci-Fi. Atlantis has been mediocre at best, and between this and the poor writing on Galactica last season, I don't think they're going to have much in the way of friday night viewers next year.

nihilist · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 10:28 »

Killing off the Ori by the end of the season is just balls-in-the-ass. Pretty much how Farscape went out, though The Peacekeeper Wars went a long way to wrapping things up.

Mikendher · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 10:45 »

stargate the movie was good. all of the tv stuff has been pretty poor I think.

Gryff · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 14:31 »

Quote from: Mnementh

This is sort of a dumb move for Sci-Fi. Atlantis has been mediocre at best, and between this and the poor writing on Galactica last season, I don't think they're going to have much in the way of friday night viewers next year.

You're forgetting that all you nerds have nothing better to do on a Friday night.

Seriously guys, 10 seasons. What are you even complaining about? I can understand the disappointment with Firefly being cancelled, but Stargate has enjoyed a longer run than most TV shows ever do, sci-fi or other.

Besides, pretty soon some new thing with spaceships and aliens (and maybe even Richard Dean Anderson!) will come along and you can all jizz in your panties about that.

Spinless · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 15:26 »

i wuv yoo gwyff

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 15:56 »

Quote from: Mikendher

stargate the movie was good. all of the tv stuff has been pretty poor I think.

agreed. i liked the movie alot. but the show never sat right with me. i think i just have a hard time watching science-fiction on tv for some reason.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 16:52 »

Quote from: lb969

Firefly was doomed from the start.

The execs had it in for it, with all the timeslot jumping, no contiguity to the episodes, and poor advertising/promotion.

All things aside, had Firefly been produced by someone like SciFi, they may well still be going.

Dude, stop whining, Ultraviolet, the best sci-fi television show OF ALL TIME only lasted six fucking episodes!

Inlander · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 17:08 »

Was that the vampire one?

KharBevNor · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 17:14 »

Yar.

Seriously, I re-watched it a couple of weeks ago, and it is some seriously awesome stuff. It's the balance of the morality. You're never quite sure which side you should be backing. There's also the bold reality of it all. Buffy, for example, doesn't quite seem to exist in a world where paedophiles or stock market scams could play a major part in the plot.

Oh yeah, and consistent internal logic, no plot holes, brilliant design, fantastic casting and acting, good music, great cinematography, subtle use of effects etc. etc.

The first two points alone elevate it above 95% of genre series.

Inlander · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 17:17 »

I always got the impression that was only meant to go for six episodes. It seemed pretty self-contained.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #28 on:** 22 Aug 2006, 17:20 »

True, true. But it could have been expanded. Always the danger of fecking it up, of course. I believe they tried to develop a US version and didn't get beyond the pilot.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Aug 2006, 08:42 »

Quote from: Gryff

Besides, pretty soon some new thing with spaceships and aliens (and maybe even Richard Dean Anderson!) will come along and you can all jizz in your panties about that.

Hell. They should just drop the pretense and make MacGyver 2525. I want to see him built a warp drive out of a bong and a can of spray cheese...

Or maybe I just want a bong and a canister of spray cheese.

Stranger Dan · « **Reply #30 on:** 24 Aug 2006, 14:26 »

Stargate SG-1 has dragged on for waaaaaaaay too long. I occasionally had to just stop watching because it is just too much shit to keep track of.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Save the Stargate! SG1 cancelled! (Read 8448 times)

lb969

Spinless

lb969

Garcin

lb969

Garcin

Garcin

Garcin

Garcin

Mnementh

Mnementh

nihilist

Mikendher

Spinless