SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

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JME2
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SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

From Gateworld

So, Sy Fy's not burning out the series ala Caprica. But it's looking less and less likely we'll get a last minute reprieve.

Their best bet would be get a mini-series or DTV to wrap things up. But given that Revolution and Extinction are in development hell, I'm not getting my hopes up.

So, if this is really the end of Stargate, at least we've got 3 movies and 17 combined seasons of television in our DVD shelves... :mrgreen:
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Themightytom »

At least moving it back to Friday and pairing it with being human will boost its ratings up. They must be hoping they can prove enough viewers watch it to justify something.

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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Themightytom wrote:At least moving it back to Friday and pairing it with being human will boost its ratings up. They must be hoping they can prove enough viewers watch it to justify something.
I know there were network politics involved, but the decision to move SGU to Tuesday still baffles me. Stargate goes together with Friday night television like Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Then again, these are the same idiots who broke up the much loved Sci-Fi Friday, so...
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Gateworld has given synopses -and mild spoilers - for the first of the final four episodes.

Again, it's sad that it's getting canceled, because it looks like we're getting some interesting stories. I'll also be curious if --
Spoiler
-- the attack on Homeworld Command will finally reveal the Stargate Program's existence to the general public. considering how they buried the attacks by Anubis and the ZPM Hive, I'm not holding my breath.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by PREDATOR490 »

Pfft, no chance.
Spoiler
If they do, I can quickly see it being brushed over with everyone just going alone with it because the plot says so.
Hey... we been lying to the world for 10 years fighting wars across the universe. But we just saved the world again and now everyones fine with it, ok ?

I would have more respect for them just covering it up like they usually do than pulling that.

Amy: Yay, bodysnatched again - Boring

Wray and Greer trapped on Earth - Option 1: they get cut off from the stones 2: They somehow get to dial Earth

Eli figures a way to dial Earth - Episode called 'Twin' Destinies - Alternate reality alarm going off

Blue Aliens show up - I forsee a three way battle happening.
I'll watch how it ends but I have never been impressed with SGU's progress and will not shed any tears to see it rightfully die.

SG has been played to death and it becomes blatantly clear from SG-1 Season 8 forwards the shows have been continuing just for the sake of continuing. Rehashing old ground is not interesting nor is getting nothing but slow paced fillers that achieve nothing but waste time.

Maybe when the sit down, take a break and really think what they want to do for a next incarnation they will get the fan reaction they want.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by FedRebel »

PREDATOR490 wrote: SG has been played to death and it becomes blatantly clear from SG-1 Season 8 forwards the shows have been continuing just for the sake of continuing. Rehashing old ground is not interesting nor is getting nothing but slow paced fillers that achieve nothing but waste time.
Yeah, Stargate's just been a rinse/repeat of [Insert new more powerful Alien threat] and [Insert even more over the top eleventh hour resolution]

SG-1's final seasons could've been better if instead of the Ori we had the SGC deal with the balkanization of the galaxy (every orphaned First Prime with pair creating his own little Empire) the Tok'Ra asserting themselves as a state and developing interests that come into conflict with Earth and the various Jaffa states, and that's the tip of the iceberg, with the Goa'uld gone every previously hermetic advanced civilization is eager to cut themselves a piece of the Galactic pie. And the SGC has to put up a more indepth budget fight to justify it's force size.

That would be an interesting and original angle, ofcourse it'd force the writing staff to be more creative in their stories and they'd have to break the eight year old mold they had (powerful evil Alien race that uses religion to enslave.)
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Sarevok »

I don't think SGUs treatment of intergalactic politics killed the series. It's the characters. They have this uncanny ability to bore and depress you at the same time.

Personally I had lost all interest after they killed off Gin. It's like the writers believe in creating boring, bleak miserable plots. Nothing inspirational or cheerful ever happens on SG:U.
I have to tell you something everything I wrote above is a lie.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by PREDATOR490 »

Too much of that going on lately with shows attempting to copy nBSG's tone.

I really didnt like nBSG's characters but it had action and sensible intrigue - Minus the Angel / God shit.
SGU had no action, boring characters and soap equivelent drama.
Going from light hearted series to SGU was insanely stupid and then cutting out the majority of anything linking to SG even more so.

My feelings about how SGU should have went and contribution it made to the SG franchise can be summarised with this:
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Steel »

Does anyone know anything concrete about a UK release date?
Apparently nobody can see you without a signature.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

FedRebel wrote:SG-1's final seasons could've been better if instead of the Ori we had the SGC deal with the balkanization of the galaxy (every orphaned First Prime with pair creating his own little Empire) the Tok'Ra asserting themselves as a state and developing interests that come into conflict with Earth and the various Jaffa states, and that's the tip of the iceberg, with the Goa'uld gone every previously hermetic advanced civilization is eager to cut themselves a piece of the Galactic pie. And the SGC has to put up a more indepth budget fight to justify it's force size.
Agreed. In retrospect, the creation of the Ori wasn't needed even if it did give us the Ancients' origins.

Of these closing episodes, I'm anticipating "Seizure" the most. SGA may have been a flawed show, but it'll be good to see Rodney and Woolsey one more time.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Lonestar »

Crap, I think you could do a made-for-TV movie about a Oir Mothersip and the Prior establishing his own tinpot empire somewhere.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Sy Fy has released the promo for Season 2.5 and well...it looks good, but I love how they're playing this up as a grand ending -- it's not like they canceled the series mid-season before...oh wait...
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Adrian McNair »

JME2 wrote:Sy Fy has released the promo for Season 2.5 and well...it looks good, but I love how they're playing this up as a grand ending -- it's not like they canceled the series mid-season before...oh wait...
It seems they'll be repeating how The Sarah Connor Chronicles unfolded at the end, with the show kicking into high gear. It's interesting that both shows were canceled while in their second seasons.
Spoiler
There were quite a few interesting shots in those promos- Greer holding Chloe at gunpoint (it's doubtful that he'll pull the trigger, unfortunately), what appeared to be a Gate Room occupied by quite a few armed guards (it definitely wasn't the SGC. It might be one of the Alpha or Beta sites. It could also be a Lucian Alliance facility), someone strapped to a gurney being observed by our old friends the Blues (this could be a flashback to Chloe's time aboard the Blue mothership or just a nightmare) along with a fair amount of explosions and people running. The SPACE trailer seems to imply that the others will leave Destiny while Rush remains behind.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Spoiler
There's speculation that the gateroom is Langara's Stargate. Again, it'll be good to see Rodney and Woolsey one last time in episode 16. If anyone deserves to join the SG Hat Trick Club -- actors who have appeared across all 3 shows -- it's those two.

It'll be interesting to see where the crew leaves to. They might make it bake to Earth while Rush remains on board Destiny. That wouldn't be a terrible way to end the series. It'd actually be fitting.
Anyway, the whole cancellation irks me.

Yeah, I know it wasn't pulling in the numbers they wanted, but neither was Caprica.

Again, I keep wondering if there were network politics going on behind the scenes. After all, they got a hold of SG-1 when the channel first started up and the franchise has been a major part of their line-up for 9 years. By canceling both shows, they just killed two of their major franchises -- or rather, one of them given they're already doing a 3rd BSG show.

So again, if this is the end, we have 354 episodes and 3 movies to re-watch and celebrate for many years to come.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Adrian McNair »

JME2 wrote: Anyway, the whole cancellation irks me.

Yeah, I know it wasn't pulling in the numbers they wanted, but neither was Caprica.

Again, I keep wondering if there were network politics going on behind the scenes. After all, they got a hold of SG-1 when the channel first started up and the franchise has been a major part of their line-up for 9 years. By canceling both shows, they just killed two of their major franchises -- or rather, one of them given they're already doing a 3rd BSG show.

So again, if this is the end, we have 354 episodes and 3 movies to re-watch and celebrate for many years to come.
I'd say that it was also the purists who wanted yet another Stargate retread (because two shows adhering to the same formula weren't enough, damn it!) that were also a factor. Sure Universe may have had its faults- namely pacing as well as the questionable treatment of female characters such as Ginn and Perry- but I liked the fact that they deviated from the extremely tired dynamic and showed just how hostile and desolate the universe could be (the lack of generic primitive village settings that plagued both SG-1 and Atlantis was refreshing).
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Adrian McNair wrote:
JME2 wrote: Anyway, the whole cancellation irks me.

Yeah, I know it wasn't pulling in the numbers they wanted, but neither was Caprica.

Again, I keep wondering if there were network politics going on behind the scenes. After all, they got a hold of SG-1 when the channel first started up and the franchise has been a major part of their line-up for 9 years. By canceling both shows, they just killed two of their major franchises -- or rather, one of them given they're already doing a 3rd BSG show.

So again, if this is the end, we have 354 episodes and 3 movies to re-watch and celebrate for many years to come.
I'd say that it was also the purists who wanted yet another Stargate retread (because two shows adhering to the same formula weren't enough, damn it!) that were also a factor. Sure Universe may have had its faults- namely pacing as well as the questionable treatment of female characters such as Ginn and Perry- but I liked the fact that they deviated from the extremely tired dynamic and showed just how hostile and desolate the universe could be (the lack of generic primitive village settings that plagued both SG-1 and Atlantis was refreshing).
As did I. SG-1 and SGA had had darker stories, but never like this and it was refreshing.

Yes, the producers are at fault for pacing and initial characterization, but it's unfortunate that so many fans weren't willing to give it a chance and actively hurt the show.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Gateworld has updates.

Season 3 taking place on another network is a no-go.

They're still talking with MGM, but any likelihood of a DTV movie(s) won't be known until around the time of the series finale.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Adrian McNair »

JME2 wrote:Gateworld has updates.

Season 3 taking place on another network is a no-go.

They're still talking with MGM, but any likelihood of a DTV movie(s) won't be known until around the time of the series finale.
I can't say that a DTV movie would be my preferred option given the previous output. The Ark of Truth was average at best (they introduced a Replicator sub-plot that stole time away from the resolution of the main Ori story arc. The Ori crusaders were also dealt with in an unsatisfactory manner) and Continuum was just approaching okay (Ba'al was turned into a mere obstacle for Qetesh and the overall plot felt more like an extended episode than an actual movie).

If it were up to me there would be a ten to thirteen mini-season that would cut out all of the dead-weight and resolve most (if not all) of the lingering plot threads.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

If it were up to me there would be a ten to thirteen mini-season that would cut out all of the dead-weight and resolve most (if not all) of the lingering plot threads.
Agreed; I'd actually rather see the SGA film at this point than an SGU film.

But who knows. Fan support for SGU's been building since the cancellation. If they get enough people watching and increase viewership enough, we may get a change of edict. Doubtful, but you never know.

In any event, I think there is a good chance of either a mini-series or a DTV for SGU. If this were any other studio, they wouldn't back a failed television show.

However, Wright's gone on the record and stated that MGM considers Stargate one of their most important properties, it is to TV what the James Bond franchise is to film. In theory, it's in their interest to continue the franchise, but it depends if they decide the overall Stargate audience is still there and if the DTV market has recovered.

Again, if this is the end of the franchise, we have 354 episodes and 3 movies. I'm not complaining.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Adrian McNair »

JME2 wrote: Agreed; I'd actually rather see the SGA film at this point than an SGU film.
Though I have next to no enthusiasm for Atlantis at this point (and to be honest my interest levels weren't particular high when the series was coming to an end), I wouldn't mind seeing a movie where the expedition returns to Pegasus, forms an alliance with those rogue Asgard and exterminates the Wraith. After all, the title for the proposed film was meant to be Extinction.
But who knows. Fan support for SGU's been building since the cancellation. If they get enough people watching and increase viewership enough, we may get a change of edict. Doubtful, but you never know.
There's an interesting piece by Eric Newport here about what was wrong with the SyFy network's treatment of Caprica and how its cancellation could have been avoided. I think he makes some decent points and it definitely relates to what happened with Universe.
But who knows. Fan support for SGU's been building since the cancellation.
It has? I thought opinions about it were still divided into three distinct camps- those who enjoy it, the ones who are ambivalent about it and the purists who, naturally, outright hate it.
However, Wright's gone on the record and stated that MGM considers Stargate one of their most important properties, it is to TV what the James Bond franchise is to film. In theory, it's in their interest to continue the franchise, but it depends if they decide the overall Stargate audience is still there and if the DTV market has recovered.
If Wright doesn't manage to work out something with MGM then we'll probably have to wait a few years before anything Stargate-related appears.
Again, if this is the end of the franchise, we have 354 episodes and 3 movies. I'm not complaining.
I concur. It has had a good run, far greater than many other sci-fi shows have had.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by JME2 »

Though I have next to no enthusiasm for Atlantis at this point (and to be honest my interest levels weren't particular high when the series was coming to an end), I wouldn't mind seeing a movie where the expedition returns to Pegasus, forms an alliance with those rogue Asgard and exterminates the Wraith. After all, the title for the proposed film was meant to be Extinction.
Based on the title, it sounds like it'll involve Keller's gene therapy. Who knows if Todd passed it onto any other Wraith and we know what effect it had. It even seemed like they were setting it up with "Infection" during the closing stretch.

Anyway, I want a final resolution to the Tau'ri-Wraith conflict.
It has? I thought opinions about it were still divided into three distinct camps- those who enjoy it, the ones who are ambivalent about it and the purists who, naturally, outright hate it.
Or rather, fan awareness has been promoted on Twitter, Facebook, etc. People are really stressing the need to watch the final 10 episodes live, to show a visible increase in viewers despite the impending cancellation. Again, it will not likely reverse the edict, but you never know.

(On a side note, I desperately wish this had worked with Angel; that show deserved to go at least one more year.)
If Wright doesn't manage to work out something with MGM then we'll probably have to wait a few years before anything Stargate-related appears.
Agreed. And if the proposed SGU films fail to kick off, then this may be the end of Wright's stewardship of the franchise. The executives may decide to can him given the commercial failure of SGU.
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Re: SGU: Final Episodes Begin March 7

Post by Themightytom »

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2011/03/u ... mpetition/
Stargate‘s new Monday night competition includes:

ABC: Castle (repeat tonight)
CBS: Hawaii Five-0 (repeat)
NBC: Harry’s Law (new)
FOX: Local news

Castle was watched live by an average of 10.15 million viewers last week, while Hawaii Five-0 drew about 7.23 million for a repeat. 9.15 million tuned in for Harry’s Law.
Castle is pretty fucking good IMHO, but it's a repeat night so I'm all about Universe. I also think of the shows listed, it's MOST likely to draw viewers who would also watch SG:U because you know, Nathan Filion, firefly, etc.

it is a little late airing though, I know i usually like to get to bed by 11 so I can still outsmart my clients in the morning. 9 would have been an easier time slot for working people like me.

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