Straw man argument. The characters never behaved like "incompetent dicks", they behaved like human beings do. The square-jawed heroes of SG-1 are cartoon characters by contrast, they do not belong in any sort of serious character drama because they do not represent what it is to be human. There are no archetypical villains in the show for them to bounce off and no internal conflict or intriguing adult relationships likely to develop between them, so what would they actually do? Fly around gathering food and supplies? Riveting stuff. Like The Walking Dead? Like The Wire? Well adjusted "likeable" protagonists are for pop-corn episodics, the comfort food of weekly TV, not for serious sci-fi character dramas seeking to explore the human condition.
If they do a reboot they should call it SG-2, and basically be SG-1 all over again but through the eyes of another team, or do a series where Stargate goes public or a series based on the ancients :P
I would like to see a Stargate show about the Ancients themselves. That could be interesting and fun.
They were all pros, I think the characters really made it. Especially the SG1 characters. Though I liked some of the Atlantis additions and am yet to see SGU. If a new series were in the works it would have to be as strong in writing its characters, let alone plot. It was always about these crazy funny/serious people. - I for one would probably enjoy a new series if they got it right but there is a lot to go back and watch so I'm not complaining that there hasn't been another reboot yet.
Not ratings-wise, but it ran for 10 years and got the best overall effort out of its writing team. I can't argue with that. That's because they started recycling SG-1 plots, villains included. The reason why the first season had the best ratings of any season of Stargate is because they put their creativity into creating something different and new, but still somewhat familiar. Too bad that didn't last. It still had a successful run, though.
No idea what would sell - I liked Universe, but the ratings were obviously low. When (they can't leave a franchise idle for ever - they want to get some income from it) there is a new show, I have a nasty feeling it will be as a reboot. If it isn't a reboot they really should draw on both SG-1 and Atlantis for background and guest appearances, and I'm pretty sure any new show would tie into and resolve the Universe story.
It's also the most recognizable show among non-fans. Say "Stargate" to someone who isn't really into sci-fi and they're likely to say "that space show with MacGuyver and that black guy with the thing on his forehead."
I remember Adam Baldwin lobbying to get a Stargate spinoff. I once suggested a series that took place in the past and would have been told from the perspective of a primitive culture. Instead of being a military/science/planetary exploration show, it would have been more about magic, gods and other realms, like Hercules/Xena/Lord of the Rings.
SG-U was the "adult" series of the Stargate franchise, IMHO. SG-1 was so formula and easy-action with a little humor thrown in. I'm not knocking it, as I liked it for what it was. But you know, by the end of SG-1 it had run its course. Jack O'Neill was tired, and so was everybody else. Didn't you see them in SG-U, looking out of shape and a little bit two dimensional? They were DONE. SG-U made one serious mistake, though. Season 1 was too heavy handed. True, there had to be episodes focused on the basics, as they boarded a starship with failing systems and there was a lot of work to be done. Air, water, and food were dire priorities. But given what was covered in S1, I think they could have done it in half as many episodes. And the human factor was a little much to start. There was clearly lots of tension between many characters. SG-U was a touch too dark. All of this was apparently too much for most SG-1 fans and they turned away. As for competence, give me a break. You have a bunch of people thrown onto the decks of Destiny, mostly unprepared, and have to fight for their lives. This isn't SG-1 with a seriously heavy-duty highly experienced crack team who can take on anything. The three main physicists (Volker, Brody, and Park) were playing major catch up. And then of course there's Eli who is very smart and clever, but needs some time to absorb it all. Given how little time they had, they did more than anyone could have expected. Really, you need to ease up on the criticism here. Season 2 of SG-U clearly showed that the series was developing and improving. The whacky paranoia of Dr. Rush was toned down and he was going to start cooperating more openly with the rest of the crew; no more secrets to hide (like the bridge!). The Lucian Alliance members finally whittled down to trustable members. The alien drone vessels became the painful nemesis, with no clear way of defeating them until the realization of the control ships. After dispensing with them, Season 3 could have opened up with so many more things to do. More worlds to discover. Maybe even another seed ship located for yet another chance at dialing Earth. And **THEN** you'd have the much needed staff change. Most of the people would go home, with a select few remaining to continue the voyage along with a fresh team of people from SG-C. Seasons 3 and 4 could have uncovered a much broader relationship between the various alien species encountered and more answers to what happened to the Ancients. Perhaps even some video logs uncovered so we finally see them! SG-U was a virtual gold mine to a fantastic extension of the Stargate franchise. But no... short sighted SG-1 die hard fans just couldn't give it any chance. They cut off their noses to spite their faces. Canceling SG-U meant the complete closure of the franchise. Keeping SG-U alive would've meant much more entertainment and a sustaining of the franchise for other opportunities. You SG-1 guys killed it and you don't even realize it.