As the Stargate Turns, or the future of the franchise

[wraithfodder]

I couldn’t help but just shake my head and sigh when a tweet popped up about Stargate Universe being cancelled. I wasn’t really shocked, or surprised, well, maybe just a tad bit surprised because SGU had been SyFy’s golden child but then again, the way they shifted it on the timeslot, ignored advertising, etc. did not bode well.

So while SyFy ramped up the advertising for the new golden child, Being Human, SGU got the axe with the how-dumb-do-they-think-the-audience-is explanation of “we’re not making any more episodes.” CANCELLED! An esx-show! Dead as a doorknob, etc.

This reminds me soooo much of when Stargate Atlantis got the axe. However, SyFy seems to be refining how badly they do cancellations by letting some of the cast/crew find out via internet sources (Deadline.com and/or Twitter, etc.). At least the SGA cast got the notice on set (as a I recall) and didn’t MGM tell the SG1 cast ‘adios’ at the 200^th episode party?? Pfft.

I’m not crushed SGU is gone, except that it unemploys a lot of folk who enjoyed working with each other. For that, I’m sad, having done the unemployment bit myself more than once. Otherwise, as much as I tried getting into SGU, it was dark and bleak and not what I enjoyed in Stargate. My brother came into the room on more than one occasion to ask why I was watching Battlestar Galactica and I’d have to tell him it was Stargate and he said, uh uh and would leave. Many of my friends had the same reaction.

Unfortunately even though there are a lot of SGA/SG1 fans who did not like SGU, its demise is something to take notice of because it’s the franchise that is endangered.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/december-25-2010-christmas-marty-g-and-the-return-of-the-mailbag/ wrote on Xmas …

“6) What can us fans do to ensure SGU gets another season/movie and that SG-1/SGA gets their movies?”
Answer: Honestly?  Watch the show, pay for your downloads, and purchase the DVD’s if you’re so inclined.
Paloosa writes: “1) How can we fans contact MGM to let them know that Stargate (SG-1/SGA/SGU) still has a huge and lucrative fan base?”
Answer: Again, letters and emails are nice and all but, at the end of the day, the studio is more likely to look at things like iTune and DVD sales when making a decision.
“2) I think you mentioned that if there were another Stargate show, that you wouldn’t be involved?”
Answer: There are no plans to create or move forward on a new series.  We love the one we have now.
“3) If the SGA movie is a go, would you still be involved as the writer and/or producer?”
Answer: 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.
Mike McGinnis writes: “Is there any chance of the SGA movie anymore if you guys can’t save SGU?”
Answer: See above.  Contrary to what some may think, the cancellation of SGU is very bad news for those looking forward to an Atlantis movie.

And there’s a little more at his blog. It’s a darned shame that the network (SyFy/MGM/whoever) are going to look at the ratings of the last Stargate series to determine the viability of say, an SGA or SG1 movie. There’s still a strong fanbase for those two from what I can see on the web. I won’t hazard a guess on the sales or downloads of the shows, but I do get Google notices all the time about downloading SGA, so, guess there’s still interest in the show!

 

If they had to do movies, they should do SG1, then SGA, and lastly, SGU, cuz face it, you gotta look at the age of the cast. Sgu has the youngest, therefore, you can wait the longest… but if I had my way, it would be an SGA movie FIRST cuz I think that one has the potential for the most entertaining movie. I really haven't looked much more at Mallozzi's blog, so don't know if he's added anything, although I may not care, since he does have a horrid habit of baiting fans.

Comments

[cimmerdeux.livejournal.com]

Far be it from me to actually defend Syfy but they didn't cancel SGA (and said so in a press release but only once so this is what they get for being kiss a** with the producers at the time). Wright and Cooper pulled SGA from production. They tried to say that Syfy 'canceled' the show for ratings so the fans wouldn't yell at them but that's not what happened and it came out in the 'wash' as time went on.

As for the cast finding out via tweet and internet? Well considering that all these guys are in the entertainment business and the way a lot of actors find out they don't have jobs is by reading the script or finding out in the 'dailies' and it's been this way for decades, I'm not surprised that tweeting has become another method. Very rarely do they gather people round to tell them the bad news. I mean at most corporations you get the pink slip on Friday (after the rumors of who's losing their job have been going round for awhile) and you clean out your desk while security watches. I guess what I'm saying is most companies, entertainment or otherwise are not exactly 'polite or courteous' in passing on information like 'you're fired' ahead of time because they don't want to deal with any kind of 'emotional meltdown' so they do it in the most clinical way possible.

I know a fair amount of actors. While some actors aren't the brightest bulbs in the box, many are quite savvy (have to be quick on the uptake, they haven't chosen the most stable of careers after all) and they can read ratings' reports as well as the fans. They knew they were probably going to get canceled. I suspect they knew after the second ep of this season especially after the poor showing of last season, so if they're 'shocked' then they're in the wrong business.

I don't expect the Stargate franchise to go away but it may take a rest. I do think if and when it comes back, it needs new blood. I suspect an SGA movie could pull in at least as high a ratings as SGU has been pulling but whether these particular PTB will be doing any further SG movies or shows, about that I have serious doubts.