Stargate Universe has been cancelled.

[JME2]

For me at least the irritation comes from Stargate fans who hated the show only because it didn't follow the same formula as the first two. There were literally people who asked, "where's the O'Neil/Sheppard, the nerd, the fighter, and the strong woman?" I have no problem with people who watched the show and decided it was too slow and boring, or the characters were uninteresting, or the writing sucked. But for so many fans to reject the program simply because it wasn't more of the same seems just downright dumb. I feel the same way about Trekkies who rejected DS9 because it wasn't "real" Star Trek. It seems like some of the most vocal critics of SGU on the net never gave the show a chance and indeed hated it simply because it wasn't a continuation of SG1/Atlantis with a different cast.

This is what I was trying to get at. These fans hate the show because it wasn't a continuation of SG1/SGA style stories; that's their opinion and they're welcome to. I've had similar clashes with Trek fans over DS9, which I love.

Anyway, does SGU suck? In my opinion, not completely; it has had flaws to be sure and I've been critical on a number of points. I'm not even close to calling it the DS9 of the SG franchise. That having been said, I've really enjoyed the darker, more serialized take on the mythology and I'm sorry to see it get the axe as it was finally gaining some steam.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Anyway, does SGU suck? In my opinion, not completely; it has had flaws to be sure and I've been critical on a number of points. I'm not even close to calling it the DS9 of the SG franchise. That having been said, I've really enjoyed the darker, more serialized take on the mythology and I'm sorry to see it get the axe as it was finally gaining some steam.

Even more so when we remember that the first two seasons of DS9 were not that great either. Especially the first season was quite undecided on the format and involved at best so-so milieu introduction and character building. It has fairly good actors, though, and some of the characters were interesting from the start, which helped to keep it watchable.

[JME2]

Anyway, does SGU suck? In my opinion, not completely; it has had flaws to be sure and I've been critical on a number of points. I'm not even close to calling it the DS9 of the SG franchise. That having been said, I've really enjoyed the darker, more serialized take on the mythology and I'm sorry to see it get the axe as it was finally gaining some steam.

Even more so when we remember that the first two seasons of DS9 were not that great either. Especially the first season was quite undecided on the format and involved at best so-so milieu introduction and character building. It has fairly good actors, though, and some of the characters were interesting from the start, which helped to keep it watchable.

Or, as pointed out earlier, even the first season of SG-1; it's not terrible, but it's a far cry from what followed.

[JME2]

We have two major updates courtesy of Gateworld on the post-cancellation.

First, Brad Wright and the rest of the creative team are, understandably, hoping to conclude SGU's story and are currently exploring options with MGM's executives.

Secondly, MGM's bankruptcy proceedings have been completed. The company has been restructured and have been granted $500 million through JP Morgan for restarting the studio's current slate of film/tv projects.

Also of note, Charles Cohen appears to still be MGM's Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Cohen has been with MGM since 1986 and, more importantly, has been a proponent of Stargate-related projects.

So, there is still a chance for a continuation of SGU (either on another network on a mini-series) as well as the long-delayed SG-1/SGA DTV's. I'm not getting my hopes up and we'll see, but this is at least some good news.

[neoolong]

I imagine a fair chunk of that cash is going to go to the next James Bond movie. Yay, I guess.

[JME2]

I imagine a fair chunk of that cash is going to go to the next James Bond movie. Yay, I guess.

Very likely -- though not a bad thing as I don't want Craig to go the same route as Dalton.

[Starglider]

I hope this kills the Battlestar Galactica spawned emo shakey-cam soap-fest style of sci-fi, at least for a few years.

Seriously, trying to front-load all the character backstory was a bad idea. A major reason why I disliked the first series so much was spending episode after episode on earth exploring personal relationships of characters we didn't yet have a reason to care about. SG-1 and SG-A both got it right; put the characters through some adventures first and drop hints so the audience become genuinely interested in backstory, then have the odd episode that goes into it.

[Crazedwraith]

Though don't wait too long. I remember one season 4 episode of Atlantis suddenly talking about Sheppard's ex-wife that had never before been alluded to at all.

[Ssi-ruuk21]

Hopefully this isn't the end of the series. I just got into Stargate this year. Been watching SG-1 on Netflix and I love it. I watched 4 seasons of Atlantis before noticing that they canceled season 6. That really ticked me off. Atlantis was really good IMO.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I imagine a fair chunk of that cash is going to go to the next James Bond movie. Yay, I guess.

Don't forget releasing the long waited remake of Red Dawn. Yes, really, it was delayed by the MGM bankruptcy.

[ray245]

I imagine a fair chunk of that cash is going to go to the next James Bond movie. Yay, I guess.

Don't forget releasing the long waited remake of Red Dawn. Yes, really, it was delayed by the MGM bankruptcy.

Probably be a bomb though. China just doesn't feel like the USSR in any major way to attract people towards watching this movie.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I imagine a fair chunk of that cash is going to go to the next James Bond movie. Yay, I guess.

Don't forget releasing the long waited remake of Red Dawn. Yes, really, it was delayed by the MGM bankruptcy.

Probably be a bomb though. China just doesn't feel like the USSR in any major way to attract people towards watching this movie.

Who cares? If it has even half as much unintentional humor as the original did, I will watch it on DVD, and think how long Shroomy will keep us entertained with new ways to make fun of it.

[JME2]

Hopefully this isn't the end of the series. I just got into Stargate this year. Been watching SG-1 on Netflix and I love it. I watched 4 seasons of Atlantis before noticing that they canceled season 6. That really ticked me off. Atlantis was really good IMO.

Yeah. SGA had its flaws, particularly in the second half of the show, but I still enjoyed it.

[JME2]

I'm sorry, but do these idiots not understand that any future SG projects -- including, I might add, the SGA film -- are now at risk and will probably not see the light of day?

Guess what? Joe Mallozzi agrees with me:

With news coming in last week that MGM (the studio that owns the Stargate TV franchise) has completed its bankruptcy restructuring and securing $500 million in new financing (story), the next big question is just which of Stargate‘s three series will get attention first — and in what medium.

In a new Q&A with fans on his blog, executive producer Joseph Mallozzi offers his take on where things currently stand for the future of Stargate Universe, the Atlantis movie, and beyond.

Mallozzi was clear that the end of SGU does not mean that time and money has now been freed up to put the Atlantis film into production. Mallozzi co-wrote the script for Stargate: Extinction with Paul Mullie after the movie was first announced following SGA‘s cancellation in 2008.

“I’m sorry to say but the cancellation puts the brakes on whatever progress the SGA movie had made in the past month, shelving it indefinitely,” he said. “… Contrary to what some may think, the cancellation of SGU is very bad news for those looking forward to an Atlantis movie.”

Mallozzi didn’t speak to the next planned movie for the SG-1 team, tentatively titled Stargate: Revolution. Executive producer Brad Wright had reportedly been working on securing the go-ahead for that film before MGM entered bankruptcy this fall.

He also said that a fourth television series in the franchise is not on the table at this point. “A new Stargate series isn’t even being considered,” he said. “… There are no plans to create or move forward on a new series. We love the one we have now.”

The producers of SGU hope that Destiny's mission is not over yet.

That, of course, means that the producers still hope to find a way to finish SGU‘s storyline. Mallozzi echoed Wright’s sentiments on this point (story). “All options are being considered at this point, but a third season would be ideal,” Mallozzi said. “We’re investigating all possible avenues.”

The Destiny sets will remain standing until all avenues have been exhausted, he said.

He said that, while the show’s ratings this season haven’t been good, the cancellation decision was surprising in its abruptness. “Those early Season Two ratings were admittedly a downer. The move to Tuesday night was not good for us (and, speaking to the franchise as a whole, the move from summer to fall did us no favors either) and I firmly believe that time-shifted viewing and internet downloads have bled off a significant portion of our younger, tech-savvy audience.

“Still, we held out hope and, as production continued on Season Two, positive word from various places gave us hope that the show would come back for, at the very least, a third and final season (much the same way Battlestar did). Many of us were shocked by the abruptness of the cancellation decision.”

[Themightytom]

Though don't wait too long. I remember one season 4 episode of Atlantis suddenly talking about Sheppard's ex-wife that had never before been alluded to at all.

Yeah, Atlantis was a little too action adventure. The characters lacked any sort of depth and they kept on trying to "Create" interest without that foundation. Turning Ford into a crackhead? Ho hum. nobody cares about your conflicted emotions Sheppard we still don't see you as a person. Ronan Dex? Oh nice, a taller, version of Teal'c who is an asshole. Carson's nice guy who..whoops he's gone. Well Weir is... er she's gone too... Carter will...Damnit.

Colonel Caldwell actually got more development than a lot of the main characters.

[JME2]

Turning Ford into a crackhead? Ho hum.

Yeah. I've said this before, but Gateworld did an analysis of SGA after the series ended and focused on what did and didn't work. The attempt to revamp Ford in Season 2 was obviously on the playbill and it failed because it relied on the audience having an emotional connection that hadn't been developed in Season 1. Who cared?

[Crazedwraith]

The Ford thing really, really pissed me off. It's bad writing in the extreme. Instead of just spending a few episodes exploring him and his background. They introduce a massive cheap trauma for him, and shove him out they way for a 'cool replacement.' Which became a bit of a pattern for Atlantis. Its telling that Atlantis basically has a different main cast every season. Instead of trying to fix develop the characters they had. They just killed them off and replaced them every season.(Ok, not entirely true not counting losing Beckett its the same in 2 and 3)

Still, crackhead Ford actually led to some decent moments between him and the rest of the cast in the oh two episode they had before they 'killed him off.' That cameo he gets in The Season 5 opener has to be a favourite moment for the show though.

[JME2]

The Ford thing really, really pissed me off. It's bad writing in the extreme. Instead of just spending a few episodes exploring him and his background. They introduce a massive cheap trauma for him, and shove him out they way for a 'cool replacement.' Which became a bit of a pattern for Atlantis. Its telling that Atlantis basically has a different main cast every season. Instead of trying to fix develop the characters they had. They just killed them off and replaced them every season.(Ok, not entirely true not counting losing Beckett its the same in 2 and 3)

Still, crackhead Ford actually led to some decent moments between him and the rest of the cast in the oh two episode they had before they 'killed him off.' That cameo he gets in The Season 5 opener has to be a favourite moment for the show though.

Yeah, the cast instability was easily the biggest weakness of the show.

Of the departures, Tori Higginson's still bothers me. Wasn't she forced out so that the producers wouldn't have to buy out Tapping's contract, which was good for one more season past SG-1's end?

[Crazedwraith]

I'd heard about Tapping's contract having another year after SG-1 but not heard anyone directly making the connection with Higgenson going.

Sad thing is, they didn't even use Carter well. Most of the scripts seemed to be written for Weir and barely altered to fit Carter. Maybe not some of the later ones like 'Trio' but that episode was hardly an improvement.

[Batman]

Whatever the reason, bringing in Carter didn't work (as evidenced by them keeping her around for all of one season). They should either have stuck with Weir (who was one of my favourite characters) or moved straight on to Woolsey (who worked out a lot better than I had expected).
As for Ford, yeah. They should either have either let him die or kept him around period. The Wraith drug addict story was done a lot better in the two or so episodes with Ronan's former buddy in S5 than it was in all the time they wasted on Ford.

And I WANT SciFi action when I watch SG. It's great if they manage to work character development into it (and I'm not sure SGA did all that bad in that regard, really-sure, Shepard remained a cardboard cutout action hero to the end mostly, but Meredith more than made up for that, as did Ronan, and I orginially HATED Ronan), but if it's action with no character development or character development but no action, I'll pick the former (and as I said, I think SGA delivered on both aspects).

And frankly, given how the SG-1 TV movies turned out, I'm not sure I WANT an Atlantis movie.

[Crazedwraith]

Wait, you liked Ronan? I must admit when I got season 2 boxset I was surprised about how good his introduction episodes were but all the Ronan episodes afterwards were just cliche tought guy, honourable warrior crap we saw Teal'c do much better over on SG-1.

Don't get me started on their team up episode though. After a hundred years contemplating your navel on Oydessy, you're still up for a pissing match with Ronan, T? Really? Episode would have been so much better if he'd developed some Bra'tac like zen. Character assassination all around there. Ronon, Teal'c Carter. You name it.

[Batman]

No. I never liked Ronan to the end. But I stopped hating him somewhere along the way.

[CaptJodan]

Ronon effectively invalidated what Tayla was in the general sense of how the story works...ie the outsider warrior type joining the team. With Ronon, Tayla had nowhere to go character wise. Teal'c was the muscle (as SG-1 itself referenced, especially in 200). In the beginning, Tayla was the muscle. Then Ronon came along and took that away from her.

I'm not sure if Tayla could have ever broken out as a character to become a fan favorite like Teal'c became (she seemed pretty wooden a lot of the time), but when Ronon came around, the possibility of her becoming an interesting character with a real vital role on the team became nonexistent. And her role as the kickass local was usurped by big brawny moron man.

SGA suffered in part I think because none of the ideas for the characters were well thought out initially. O'Neill was successful, so they basically badly cloned him with Sheppard. Yes, he's an Airforce Lt. Colonel with a heart of gold and a sometimes humorous nature. Wow, haven't seen that before. Ford was a nobody that they didn't bother to develop into a somebody. I always thought it was simply because the 4 people dynamic didn't make it easy to have another military officer that didn't have another skill to contribute, but we see that wasn't the case when we get to Universe and have Greer. Tayla was Teal'c mk2, but again suffered from a lack of development or proper character mapping.

This lack of mapping obviously followed throughout the series. Carter didn't seem anything like herself throughout the entire season, I thought. And they could have had any character do the job she did. I still don't really see the decision behind not continuing some of the Carter/McKay stuff that could have helped that. Woolsey was an improvement, but I think more as a testament to Picardo's ability to turn crap into (at least) editable food than for anything the writers did with him. But again, his personality changed as he was now written as a "good guy" and so wasn't as much the IOA asshole.

The only one who ever worked consistently on that show was McKay because he combined the aspects of the kind of specialists that were on SG-1 with the humor we'd also come to expect, though still in a different form.

[JME2]

I'd heard about Tapping's contract having another year after SG-1 but not heard anyone directly making the connection with Higgenson going.

It was a theory floating around a while back and it probably was just mere conjecture. However, it is a matter of record that Higgenson's contract was for 6 seasons, so I don't know what happened. It may have been that or maybe the producers were hoping to bring the SG-1 audience over to boost the ratings (much as Spike was brought over to Angel after Buffy concluded).

In any event, getting rid of Weir was a major mistake for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, of all the SGA characters Weir and McKay were the foundation of the show because they had been introduced on SG-1 (much as Jack and Daniel were the foundation of SG-1 because of the original film). Neither character should have been removed from the show, much as SG-1 suffered when Shanks left for Season 6.

Secondly, Weir's relationship with Sheppard (more-so in Season 1) continued the civilian/military conflict that's been a key foundation of the franchise from the beginning. As the civilian leader, it was an interesting, different take then Hammond's command of the SGC. She was the moral voice, much as Daniel was. Replacing her with a military commander deprived the show of that moral perspective. Woolsey getting the job rectified the situation somewhat, but it was never really re-captured.

And yes, Tapping was wasted, but to play devil's advocate, she was more involved in the Sanctuary project and I don't blame her for being sick of playing Carter after 10 years.

[Themightytom]

For that matter, they have continued the trend in SG: U.

O'Neill is pulling off his role to some extent. Jeebus Christ RDA put on weight, and its hard to buy jack O' Neill as grim dark when he's pudgy, but somehow his irritable tongue lashings to young fit the bill, and we've seen hints in SG-1 that without a moderating influence like Daniel he can be pretty dark, so condoning the torture was acceptable as well.

but using Daniel as a spy, just seems inexcusable. the character spends 10 years as a four eyed clutz and now he's a special operative?? Come on.

Carter is just plain wasted commanding an F304. She uses none of the brains that characterized her in SG:1. I would rather have seen her running the SG:C if anything, or maybe an offowrld base, say the moonbase.

They continue to mistreat the characters they created, so maybe its actually better that SG verse get a break, they are definitely headed down the road that made Voyager and Enterprise suck, with the one redeeming quality being significantly better production value.

I've been watching the free extras on netflix about the making of SG:U. Giving Lou Diamond Phillips a bigger role should help the program, he's personable, and I can see more interaction on his part with the staff, creating the kind of chemistry we see in SG:1.
The sets they have made are really really cool, and its clear that they built them to last.