FROM SCI-FI WIRE:
SG-1 Ends Run; Atlantis Back
SCI FI Channel confirmed that it will not renew its record-breaking original series Stargate SG-1 for another season, but will pick up its spinoff series Stargate Atlantis for a fourth year. SG-1 aired its 200th episode on Aug. 18, and the SF series is the longest-running SF show on American television.
SCI FI issued the following statement on Aug. 21: "SCI FI Channel is proud to be the network that brought Stargate SG-1 to its record-breaking 10th season. Ten seasons and 215 episodes is an astounding, Guinness World Record-setting accomplishment. Stargate is a worldwide phenomenon. Having achieved so much over the course of the past 10 years, SCI FI believes that the time is right to make this season their last on the channel. SCI FI is honored to have been part of the Stargate legacy for five years, and we look forward to continuing to explore the Stargate universe with our partners at MGM through a new season of Stargate Atlantis."
Stargate SG-1, developed for television by executive producers Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate. SG-1, which originally starred Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping and Christopher Judge, began on Showtime, then moved to SCI FI after five seasons. The current cast includes Tapping, Shanks and Judge and newcomers Ben Browder, Claudia Black and Beau Bridges. It airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT [SOURCE].
CHT to the reader who e-mailed.
I’m sorry to see SG1 go, but it’s quality hasn’t been as high the last few years. I’m impressed with how well they did after Richard Dean Anderson MacGuyvered his way out of the program. The introduction this season of Vala (sp?) as a regular character was a breath of fresh air, but SG1 hasn’t been able to motivate me to tune in each week for some time (couldn’t compete with square dancing), so I’ve been catching reruns and plan on watching the last couple of seasons complete on DVD.
I’m glad that they’re keeping Atlantis around, though I don’t think that show has ever equalled SG1 when the latter was at its peak. The writing has always seemed muted, somehow, though I love the character Rodney MacKay (sp?). Perhaps with SG1 off the air, Atlantis will take off and grow the way DS9 did once TNG and B5 were off the air. The departure of the latter two shows gave DS9 the ability to cut loose and spread its wings without cramping other series, and perhaps with the whole Stargate universe to itself now, Atlantis will be able to tell stories without having to worry about stepping on SG1’s toes.
I’d be interested to see what the ratings have been for SG1 vs. Atlantis. I suspect that SG1’s are higher, but this wasn’t purely a ratings-based situation. The SG1 writers have been having a hard time making do, between franchise aging and the departure of major cast members. It does make creative sense to end the series before its scraping the bottom of the barrel (which I personally don’t think it’s at; I can imagine sci-fi a LOT worse than the current season of SG1).
There’s also something that the above press-release doesn’t mention:
This is a repositioning of where the network is putting its money. A cable network only has so much money to devote to developing new proramming, and there are only so many serieses that Sci-Fi can produce at a given time. So a major reason SG1 is being put out to pasture is to make way for a new series: Caprica. The Battlestar Galactica franchise has been so successful (it WAS able to get me to tune in weekly last season) that the network is wanting more in that mold. So what we’re watching is a pirouette between the two franchises, with the young, dynamic Galactica series taking the lead over the still-watchable but somewhat-worn-around-the-edges Stargate franchise.
It would be impolitic to say such things in a press release announcing the end of SG1, though.
Wouldn’t sit well with Stargate fans to say "We can’t produce an extra new series each week, so SG1 is going away to allow us to do Caprica."
That wasn’t the only reason for the decision, of course. The ones mentioned above were, too, and ratings decline certainly was as well. But Caprica’s arrival no doubt played a role.
Jimmy, maybe this will help the dearth of information a bit:
http://community.tvguide.com/forum.jspa?forumID=700000044
Scroll down a bit to see what TV Guide is saying. It’s concise, but it does mention ratings news for SG-1, and a comparative statement about Atlantis, plus a bit of other, better news about cast members and the current season.
I never got into SG1- at first- but then I started watching SGA on a weekly basis when it first came out.( I love Rodney McKAy, too) So then I started going back and watching re-runs of SG1 and the new ones and now SG1 and SGA are two of my Sci-fi shows. I never watched Battlestar Galatica much but only because it interfered with my other favorite Fri night show- MONK. But they’ve switched the Monk time around, now- so we’ll see.
I don’t know how to edit- I meant to say SGA and SG1 are my now two favorite SCI-FI shows, now that Enterprise and B-5 are gone.
I’m a Scaper, myself (Farscape!). 😀
Trubador, didn’t they leave you Farscape fans hanging? That’s what I heard, anyway, and it’s one of the main reasons I decided not to pick up the show. I hate it when I get into something that doesn’t have an ending.
It’ll be sad to see Stargate SG-1 go. SG-1 is still my favourite currently-running science fiction television series, but I do think that it’s probably better for the show to quit now while it’s ahead instead of dragging itself out to the point where it’s unwatchable.
As for Stargate Atlantis, I actually really like that show . . . when it sticks to its main storyline about the Wraith. The filler/stand-alone episodes are actually quite bad. The Wraith are simply fantastic villains, however, in my oppinion. I also like Doctor McKay, as well as the character Ronin (something about gunslinging samurai-esque warrior aliens appeals to me on a very human level).
Never really got into Battlestar Galactica. What little I saw of it was . . . underwhelming, to say the least. Maybe I’ll give it another chance, come this new season.
Also, wasn’t Farscape resolved with that “Peacekeeper Wars” mini-series? Regardless, what I remember of Farscape was that it was really, really good. I didn’t see as much of it as I would have liked, and probably should buy the DVDs. Everyone should watch this show.
SGI had a season that was a parody of itself, then they lost the general, who was in fact a key character, and the doctor, and then MacGyver, and brought in two characters – not just actors, from Farscape, and ruined it.
It just wasn’t the same.
A real pity about Enterprise, they’d finally gotten on their feet and in the right direction with the last season, dumping the time-traveling nonsense, and bringing it back into the future-history.
Sufi and Randolph,
Farscape was resolved when they did the 2-part 4-hour mini series. But Henson Co. has designs for moving the franchise forward (hopefully, one day, with a stand-alone feature film), as well as other avenues.
I’d HIGHLY recommend the DVD set of all four seasons, plus the mini series. It makes a lot more sense to watch the eps in order, though.
For more info on the series, check out the following website:
http://www.watchfarscape.com/
I hang out in the forums in there pretty regularly.
So are Sam and Col O’Neill finally gonna get together at the series finale of the show?
What I want to know is if they’re going to make a SG-1 movie. They seemed to imply it by the ending of ep 200.
Oh, and Jimmy, it’s called a DVR! Get with the 20th century 😀
Dang! It’s like Farscape is being cancelled all over again!!
BRING BACK FARSCAPE! BRING BACK FARSCAPE! BRING BACK FARSCAPE!
>faints< Sorry, I'm a new fan...
I must admit, my wife and I did refer to SGA as Stargate-Hair for the first few episodes. That said, it does grow on you.
Honey,
That was me!
I wondered about SG-1. I haven’t had cable in years, but I used to watch a season behind in syndication. However, this year SG-1 was dropped and SG Atlantas was shown instead. I was so looking forward to seeing those Farscape actors integrated into the show.