SGU Renewed for Season 2

[JME2]

From Gateworld

It’s official: Stargate Universe has been renewed for a second season, MGM and Syfy Channel announced late last night (via The Hollywood Reporter).

A 20-episode season will begin filming in early 2010 for a fall premiere. Meanwhile, the second half of Season One will return in April. Work on the first episodes of Season Two is already underway in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the show’s writing team has hammered out storylines and already started writing scripts.

The renewal comes as no surprise, with SGU relaunching the stalwart, 12-year-old franchise and bringing in brand new viewers with its markedly different tone and approach to storytelling. The show has averaged 2.6 million viewers with “Live + 7 Days” DVR data taken into account, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It’s the cable network’s second highest-rated show of the fall season, behind Ghost Hunters.

According to Syfy:

* In the eight episodes with full “Live + 7″ DVR viewing data, Stargate Universe’s first year has averaged 2.64 million total viewers, 1.66 million Adults 25-54, 1.47 million Adults 18-49 and 617,000 Adults 18-34, along with a 1.9 HH rating.

* Compared to the 2008-09 Stargate Atlantis Season Five, SGU jumped 55 percent in Adults 18-34, 36 percent in Adults 18-49, 31 percent in Adults 25-54 and 26 percent in total viewers.

Of course the studio isn’t saying just which cast members will be on the show next season. With another 10 episodes still to air in the freshman season, anyone is at risk of being killed off.

Syfy also announced the renewal of SGU’s Friday night companion series, Sanctuary. It will be the third season for the series that stars and is executive produced by Amanda Tapping, formerly of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis fame. The series has averaged 2.2 million viewers this season.

Sanctuary will continue to air the rest of its 13-episode season into January, then return with Season Three in the fall. The renewal marks the show’s first 20-episode order, THR says.

Watch for the next new episode of SGU, “Space,” when the show returns in April! In the meantime, we’ll continue to cover every moment of the franchise and look at Stargate Universe so far, right here at GateWorld.

Excellent news. I've been very impressed with the first half of Season 1 and if the second half is just as strong, I'd hate for the show to end so soon.

[Andrew_Fireborn]

Not too surprised.

I'd say they could probably pull off 2-3 seasons easily. Though by episode 60~ the premise might start to wear very thin.

But it has been picking up steam, so hopefully they'll be able to keep it going.

[Solauren]

The premise won't wear to thin after 2 - 3 seasons if Earth finds a way to get establish wormholes to the Destiny, but not the other way around.

Then it shifts from trying to survive, to trying to fix the flying rust-bucket to the point you can return home.

[Bilbo]

WTF is with Sci-Fi channel and their limp dicked habit of showing half a season, waiting 5 plus months and then showing the other half? Basically it now means that between now and April I will not once turn on the Sci-Fi channel whose biggest draws will be a bunch of redneck dipshits running around in dark houses at night trying to prove that ghosts really exist.

[Sarevok]

The premise won't wear to thin after 2 - 3 seasons if Earth finds a way to get establish wormholes to the Destiny, but not the other way around.

Then it shifts from trying to survive, to trying to fix the flying rust-bucket to the point you can return home.

Or they could permanently maroon the crew on the far side of the universe. Then introduce the local alien groups and see where the interaction takes them from there.

[Siege]

Yeah, I don't get the huge gaping 5 month gap either. Ten episodes, and then you have to wait nearly half a year for another ten? What's up with that?

[CaptJodan]

Glad to see it'll get a second season. I wondered if it would make it to a second season with most of the complaints about it not being Stargate enough.

Though the half-season shit really does get old.