Stargate Universe has been cancelled.

[DrMckay]

What. The. Shit. Seriously? they cancel this and keep "Ghost Hunters?" I assumed that when Caprica was canceled, it was to provide funding for SGU, which was actually improving, and that "SyFy" would actually keep the franchise that it is best known for, and you know, actually give it a chance. Lest we forget, SG1's first season was pretty mediocre too, and it got better. Do the execs have that much attention deficit. Now the only decent shows are Warehouse 13 and Eureka. Any bets on how long those will last?

I hope they do themselves a favor and remember that the people who tune in want Science Fiction. Not wrestling or ghost hunting. For cryin' out loud, maybe buy the rights to Farscape, DS9 Babylon 5, and Highlander, and actually show those in syndication.

Spike actually used to have a midday Ds9 and highlander block. I loved staying home from school for it.

Gaaaah.

[adam_grif]

Mckay, I thought it was generally understood that execs don't give two shits about the quality of shows, they just care about how many people watch it.

[Soontir C'boath]

When Ghost Hunters is probably a heck of a lot cheaper to produce and has more viewers than SGU, of course they'll keep the former.

This is a Giant Fuck You to the SGU haters who are glad to see the series canned. If you don't like it, DON'T WATCH IT. I enjoyed SGU and am not pleased to see the series cancelled.

Clearly, many didn't.

I say good riddance. I could probably find better character interaction on a day-time soap opera than what SGU offered.

[Thanas]

What. The. Shit. Seriously? they cancel this and keep "Ghost Hunters?" I assumed that when Caprica was canceled, it was to provide funding for SGU, which was actually improving, and that "SyFy" would actually keep the franchise that it is best known for, and you know, actually give it a chance. Lest we forget, SG1's first season was pretty mediocre too, and it got better. Do the execs have that much attention deficit. Now the only decent shows are Warehouse 13 and Eureka. Any bets on how long those will last?

I hope they do themselves a favor and remember that the people who tune in want Science Fiction. Not wrestling or ghost hunting. For cryin' out loud, maybe buy the rights to Farscape, DS9 Babylon 5, and Highlander, and actually show those in syndication.

Spike actually used to have a midday Ds9 and highlander block. I loved staying home from school for it.

Gaaaah.

Syfy actually killed Farscape.

[StarshipTitanic]

What. The. Shit. Seriously? they cancel this and keep "Ghost Hunters?"

Ghost Hunters is a simple show that costs nothing to make compared to the CGI and sets needed for SGU. Warehouse 13 and Eureka are light on the special effects in comparison, too.

I assumed that when Caprica was canceled, it was to provide funding for SGU, which was actually improving, and that "SyFy" would actually keep the franchise that it is best known for, and you know, actually give it a chance.

SyFy (it feels so stupid to use that) is best known for Battlestar Galactica. Caprica wasn't drawing in that crowd and they seem to think that another series about Cylons fighting humans will draw them back.

Lest we forget, SG1's first season was pretty mediocre too, and it got better. Do the execs have that much attention deficit. Now the only decent shows are Warehouse 13 and Eureka. Any bets on how long those will last?

SG1 was an action show starring MacGyver. That probably attracted enough for a premium cable network to decide to renew the series. Who knows? It was over a decade ago before DVR and Internet streaming.

I hope they do themselves a favor and remember that the people who tune in want Science Fiction. Not wrestling or ghost hunting. For cryin' out loud, maybe buy the rights to Farscape, DS9 Babylon 5, and Highlander, and actually show those in syndication.

Spike actually used to have a midday Ds9 and highlander block. I loved staying home from school for it.

Gaaaah.

I think the problem is that people who want sci-fi are smart enough to go find it online so they can watch on their own time. Sadly, Syfy realizes this and increasingly sees little reason to spend the money on quality original programming.

[JME2]

Now, this is the likely end of the franchise. With the delays on the DTV front, I don't see Wright having the pull to get MGM to greenlight a mini-series or DTV to wrap it up. Given I own all the DVD's, I'm wondering how long it'll be before I lose interest and start selling them off -- just as all my Trek merchandise and DVD's were eventually sold off.

Sorry. I've been having a shitty week. SGU has ironically been one of the few positive elements of the last 18 months for me and this news really hasn't helped.

[Meest]

I think shows like this just can't make it on basic cable or network tv, all the shows that do well aren't serious. AMC probably the last hope for something like, but guessing unless it's reworked to go on HBO or Showtime style it just won't work on regular tv. I didn't like the show but it still baffles me how people can watch 4-5 different cop or medical shows but the niche sci-fi channel can't even have a full line up of sci-fi. They should really try for a R rated style pay cable sci-fi show, at least the lower episode count can make it more profitable and remove the filler episode syndrome in the normal channel season setup.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I think the problem is that people who want sci-fi are smart enough to go find it online so they can watch on their own time. Sadly, Syfy realizes this and increasingly sees little reason to spend the money on quality original programming.

It's actually a small wonder that SFX heavy scifi shows are made at all, considering their fairly limited audience and high cost. In order to draw in enough audience there has to be something special in them. Not necessarily something extraordinarily good but just something to make people interested like RDA, the good character chemistry and humor in SG1. SGU apparently did not have it and I think SGA didn't either, but it managed to stay on so long with the leftovers of SG1 popularity much in the same way as Voyager and Enterprise rode the popularity of TOS and TNG. People keep on hoping that the old magic would return, but after a while they start to lose hope and stop watching. Consequently, this probably really is the end of SG franchise just like Enterprise was the end of Star Trek on TV, although I wouldn't count out a TV movie or two yet.

[JME2]

Consequently, this probably really is the end of SG franchise just like Enterprise was the end of Star Trek on TV, although I wouldn't count out a TV movie or two yet.

Except I don't think it's going to happen. The DTV market collapsed due to the recession and MGM's financial problems are a matter of record. And even if it does go through, we know now that SGU was pitched as a 5-year arc. Any attempt to condense the story or rush it to a conclusion will result in another TAOT.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

What. The. Shit. Seriously? they cancel this and keep "Ghost Hunters?" I assumed that when Caprica was canceled, it was to provide funding for SGU, which was actually improving, and that "SyFy" would actually keep the franchise that it is best known for, and you know, actually give it a chance. Lest we forget, SG1's first season was pretty mediocre too, and it got better. Do the execs have that much attention deficit. Now the only decent shows are Warehouse 13 and Eureka. Any bets on how long those will last?

I hope they do themselves a favor and remember that the people who tune in want Science Fiction. Not wrestling or ghost hunting. For cryin' out loud, maybe buy the rights to Farscape, DS9 Babylon 5, and Highlander, and actually show those in syndication.

Spike actually used to have a midday Ds9 and highlander block. I loved staying home from school for it.

Gaaaah.

If they cared about that, do you think they'd have changed their name to "SyFy"? No. The network formerly known as "The Sci-Fi Channel" is so ashamed of it its pocket-protector wearing roots that it's changed its name to something that would appeal to the same idiots who like wrestling and ghost hunting.

The network execs cancel SFX-heavy sci-fi shows for two reasons. One, as far as network execs can tell, nobody except easily-butthurt internet fatties watches them. Two, they're bloody expensive to make. Yes, bloody expensive shows can thrive. Shows like House, 24, or CSI: Sheepfuck Tennessee are all just as expensive as, say, nBSG was, but they have large enough audiences that they command high enough advertising rates to make back most or all of their production costs before a given season gets released to the home video market.

One might rebut that these shows do well on DVD. Network execs care little about that. It takes a relatively long time to make a profit on DVD sales, since you have to first satisfy the costs of producing, distributing, and promoting the initial run of DVDs (and DVDs are not something you produce on-demand. They're pressed in bulk runs.) And, in the modern age, twelve hours after DVDs or Blu-Rays hit your local Best Buy, they're being pirated seven ways from Sunday through thousands of nearly-anonymous interweb torrents.

All of this ignores the fact that the writing in contemporary sci-fi shows is really not that good. It's hard to find a scriptwriter who can wrap her head around sci-fi, as the bulk of her writing credits are going to be sitcoms and dramas set in contemporary times; and there are a lot of things in written sci-fi that do not translate to television. It takes screenwriters more time to find their groove in a sci-fi setting than it would writing episodes of Boston Legal. Yeah, sure, SG1's writing was pretty iffy in its first season . . . but Stargate: SG-1 started inside the safety of MGM's Showtime premium subscription channel, was quickly syndicated on broadcast television, and was filled with enough Air Force hardware and mindless action to appeal to the average (pronounced: the advertiser-coveted young, dumb, and male) TV viewer. Atlantis survived its first season or two riding on the coattails of Stargate: SG1 and being broadcast in a block with both SG1 and nu-BSG. Universe didn't have this sort of safety net.

[NecronLord]

Well, I enjoyed it, indeed, I really loved this show, but I can't say I'm completely surprised. Its weaknesses (some of which, slow pacing, I enjoyed and found strengths) were prominent and obvious.

[CaptJodan]

Well, I enjoyed it, indeed, I really loved this show, but I can't say I'm completely surprised. Its weaknesses (some of which, slow pacing, I enjoyed and found strengths) were prominent and obvious.

I loathe to agree with you on anything, but....

This echoes my sentiments as well. I'm going to miss the show, and more importantly, miss the different tone that SGU set for the series that made it fresh and new. The slow pacing was a strength in my book as well as were SOME of the character moments (while others distracted or were nonexistent). But I'm not at all surprised this happened. I'm disappointed though.

[Fluffy]

I'll start be saying I really liked SGU. However, I understand the SG crowd being disappointed though, the show was not "Stargate". It lacked most of the themes/tropes that made SG so popular. SGU seemed like an attempt to replicate some of the edginess that made BSG so popular, however they appropriated the parts (angst, despair, melodrama) that most fans didn't like about later seasons of BSG and failed to mimic the action that kept the BSG crowd interested.

I'll be sad it see it go.

[Crown]

I find it crass when people come into threads like these and say stuff that will rile up people that liked the canceled show. For me, all I can say is that I'm in a deep state of shock.

Shock!

I thought it was canceled aaaaaaaaaaaaages ago!

[Metahive]

Aw men, just as I was contemplating whether or not I should give the series a shot, but after the debacle that was Crusade I decided to not commit myself to any series that was cut short, so that's that. I agree that this was probably the SG franchise's swan song, so may it rest in peace.

[Sarevok]

Great

Good bad there goes the only remaining space opera on TV. Now what will I watch ?

[Stark]

Something outside a limited genre selection, but rather based on quality?

[Marcus Aurelius]

Something outside a limited genre selection, but rather based on quality?

Watching high quality non-sci shows does not really remove the craving for quality scifi, though. It's probably a bit of nostalgia, too, at least when you get to my age group, but I have been watching mainstream TV shows since I was a teen and most of my all time top 10 TV shows are not scifi. Still, its nice to be a little bit fatty nerd once in a while

[JME2]

I'll start be saying I really liked SGU. However, I understand the SG crowd being disappointed though, the show was not "Stargate". It lacked most of the themes/tropes that made SG so popular. SGU seemed like an attempt to replicate some of the edginess that made BSG so popular, however they appropriated the parts (angst, despair, melodrama) that most fans didn't like about later seasons of BSG and failed to mimic the action that kept the BSG crowd interested.

Fair point; that was something that was bugging me early on. I was always attracted by the reinterpretation of mythology, of how the original movie and SG-1 gave new takes on Egyptian, Norse, and later Arthurian legends and myths (SGA in turn reinterpreted the Atlantis legends, albeit poorly). SGU didn't have that (though, in a sense, they reinterpreting the legends that surrounded the 9th chevron, so it kinda worked).

[Johonebesus]

Fair point; that was something that was bugging me early on. I was always attracted by the reinterpretation of mythology, of how the original movie and SG-1 gave new takes on Egyptian, Norse, and later Arthurian legends and myths (SGA in turn reinterpreted the Atlantis legends, albeit poorly). SGU didn't have that (though, in a sense, they reinterpreting the legends that surrounded the 9th chevron, so it kinda worked).

To me that was a weakness of SG-1. Every time they brought in more mythologies, it weakened my suspension of disbelief. Every time they got details very badly wrong made me roll my eyes. If they had stuck with the film's mythology, limiting the Goa'uld to the Egyptian gods and having them long gone by historic times, it would have been much better.

[JME2]

To me that was a weakness of SG-1. Every time they brought in more mythologies, it weakened my suspension of disbelief. Every time they got details very badly wrong made me roll my eyes. If they had stuck with the film's mythology, limiting the Goa'uld to the Egyptian gods and having them long gone by historic times, it would have been much better.

Again, fair point (though trying Arthurian legend into the world was one of the few good things about the Ori arc).

We know it's a matter of record that had Emmerich and Devlin moved forward with their planned sequels, they would have tackled other mythologies and tied them all together. It would have been interesting to see how their take would have differed from Wright and company's take; it probably would have avoided this.

[JME2]

Another observation: I've been doing the rounds on various boards and I'm annoyed, but unsurprised that the die-hard SGA fans are celebrating SGU's demise as if it means their show is magically coming back or it had its revenge.

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?

[Thanas]

I think they feel mighty vindicated.

[Stravo]

I have not watched much of the SG-1 shows. SG-1 was fine for the first few seasons then I lost interest. I tried out SG:Atlantis season 1 and found it underwhelming so I never came back. What bothers me about events like this are people who complain about the people who didn't like the show especially if those complainers are fans of an earlier incarnation. Are fans supposed to love a show no matter what? I am a TOS and DS9 fan but does that mean that I had to either watch Voyager and Enterprise or keep my mouth shut about how awful they are? The anti-Universe crowd is somehow bad for pointing out that the show sucked and being proven right in a way because the who was canceled?

[Johonebesus]

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.