Stargate Atlantis CANCELLED

[stonester1]

I enjoy Atlantis and love some of the characters, but the SG franchise is looking and feeling tired. Like Trek, it needs new blood. Before Stargate Universe starts, if that's where the next major thrust of the franchise goes, they need to bring on board a new crew to breath freshness in. Worked for Bond, will likely work for Trek (did for Ent S4, just no one was around to notice), etc etc.

The current crew did well, but it's clear at this point they are spent.

 

[Newt]

Well this blows.

 

[Neroon]

I know that this will not be of much consolation, but as a fan of Farscape I can empathize with you fans of "Stargate: Atlantis". Being cut short before it's end rarely ever sits well. However, at least in Scape's instance, a well-executed fan campaign helped bring it back long enough for a relatively satisfying resolution. There's no reason to think the same can't be accomplished here with "Atlantis". Then again it seems at least one DVD movie is definite, so with the right response more could be in the offering, couldn't it?

 

[TerriO]

Not if MGM was the one who pulled the plug, which is looking increasingly likely from what I've been seeing around the 'Net this morning.

Don't get me started on the Farscape campaign, because you know I saw more of the other side of that than most fans on the 'Net. Until Henson was willing to pony up the cash to pay for PKW, that actually didn't work. Sci Fi only had to pay for the broadcast rights, and none of the production costs. That was when it became an acceptable financial risk. The fact that it made good with Scapers was gravy. The less Sci Fi had to pay for it at that time, the easier it was to convince them to air it.

While I haven't seen the MGM press release yet, it's sounding increasingly like the success of the SG-1 DVDs is what resulted in this.

 

[Kemaiku]

Season 5 just started here, got off to a good start and from what I hear season 5 has been better than season 4 so this does come as a bit of a surprise.

But the quality has dropped a lot over the years to the point where I barely watched season 4. I hope this DVD movie raps up everything.

 

[Neroon]

Not if MGM was the one who pulled the plug, which is looking increasingly likely from what I've been seeing around the 'Net this morning.

Don't get me started on the Farscape campaign, because you know I saw more of the other side of that than most fans on the 'Net. Until Henson was willing to pony up the cash to pay for PKW, that actually didn't work. Sci Fi only had to pay for the broadcast rights, and none of the production costs. That was when it became an acceptable financial risk. The fact that it made good with Scapers was gravy. The less Sci Fi had to pay for it at that time, the easier it was to convince them to air it.

While I haven't seen the MGM press release yet, it's sounding increasingly like the success of the SG-1 DVDs is what resulted in this.

As to the Scape campaign, I know I'm naive in such matters, but I still knew money was at the root of even these evils. While the fan campaign certainly wasn't THE deciding factor, it had to help things considerably. Or at least made Henson think it was workable. That was why I thought something like that might help with Atlants. Not being as involved in the Gate fandom as you are, I hadn't realized to what extent MGM and the DVD sales had in this until you and others brought it up. Based upon what you all have said, yeah... I agree that there is little likelihood such a campaign would help.

Ironic, isn't it? That the SG-1DVD sales and pending "Stargate: Universe" development are probably what killed off Atlantis? Sounds almost cannibalistic.

 

[stonester1]

Maybe, perhaps those planning the Stargat U wanted the maximum amount of money they could sink into the show. They also have seen examples of the same house trying to run two involved shows at once (the Treks, which, unlike the procedurals and all their clones, don't write themselves). So I can perfectly understand their decision from that vantage point.

Chances are, we'll see characters from SG-1 and Atlantis in recurring roles on that show, if not on the regular cast.

 

[David cgc]

Well, with the end of SG-1, SG-A and BSG plus the lackluster storytelling so far in this season of Eureka, I no longer have any reason to watch Sci-Fi. Reruns of shows I've already watched do not a network make!

Well, that's the way the ball bounces, sometimes. I'm sure they would've preferred a more smooth transition from old programs to new, but their last two tries at tentpole shows failed critically and ratings-wise, another failed just in the ratings, and there are probably others I've already forgotten. They're going to need a bit of luck to hit on another set of friday-night powerhouses as in the good old days.

 

[Tom]

Also Scifi did not pull BSG's plug it was the producer's decision, to the contrary, Scifi is trying to extend BSG by spliting and stretching season 4 (though alot of that had to do with the writers strike as well) and they just greenlit another BSG movie.

As for Caprica, keep in mind "It is NOT a Series (yet)" Caprica is just one film and hopefully a backdoor pilot to a series but if the ratings suck there will be no series.

 

[Meredith]

Well looks like David Hewlitt needs a new job, I think there is a position opening up in a few years in the U.K. They are looking for someone to drive a Blue Police Box around the universe.




Anyways with the whole universe jumping and repli-weir stating that there are other races that are hiding in the Pegasus galaxy was bringing hope that they would have at least another season..... Oh well.....

Let's hope the DVD movie is good, though I would like to see some Atlantis Characters in "Universe" Namely Zalenka and Lorne, maybe a guest spot or two with Shep and McKay.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It wasn't a very good show - the cast never gelled and it had a lot of the "format fatigue" problems that slowly diminished "Star Trek" on television after TNG left the air.

I swear, I tried to watch the one where "Weir" showed up as "Fran" last week, and it was nothing but faux peril, technobabble and fan-directed backstory. Even getting all of it, I was bored - I'd think a potential new viewer would have bolted after five minutes.

Maybe by pulling the show before it deteriorated to the point that SCIFI booted it, MGM can change directions and reinvigorate the whole "franchise" before it comes to even the faithful calling for the showrunners' heads as Trekkies did.

Plus, someone at some point ought to pioneer a successful and continuing DVD or web-based science fiction series. "Stargate" is still strong enough as a brand that they may well do so - they seem to have made a good start.

 

[TerriO]

^ What, did Sanctuary spawn out of nowhere?

 

[boushh]

Well I'm disappointed.

The first thing I thought of when you guys mentioned that MGM pulled the plug was that it may be more profitable for them to make DVD movies and that's part of why they made the decision.

Whatever the reason this still sucks. I didn't watch SG1. I started with Atlantis so to me it feels like it's been cut short.

Does anyone have a link to what this Stargate Universe thing is all about?

 

[Ariadne]

Well, boo.

 

[witchie]

boushh, there's very little concrete information on SGU. All we know is that the premise will be an Ancient ship that seeded gates throughout the galaxy. The team will probably map out or follow the map of gates to new adventures.

From a money perspective, I can understand MGM's reasons for canceling Atlantis. From a fan perspective, it had lost what made it unique. I was a fan of both shows, but I loved Atlantis because it wasn't SG1. When the writing got lazy and the stunt casting/stunt deaths started occurring, it was time for this fan to say adios. I feel for the actors, but that is the biz, and something tells me this wasn't as big of a shock to them as it was to the viewers.

 

[DontFeedPhil]

Actually Im kinda glad to see it go. Atlantis never really caught fire for me or apparently anyone else. I personally believe that the decision to make Atlantis "Less" military in style and look was its first major screwup. It always seemed like a bunch of rich kids playing on their daddies big spacestation. And that took away from the overall realisim of the show. Yeah I know it isn't real at all...but at least on SG-1 I could somewhat envision that this is all really going on over at the "cheyyenne mountain complex". With Atlantis they didnt even come close to doing that. Also the stranded feel that Atlantis had even in it 5th season was totally wrong. What they physically cant fit enough people thru the gate to FULLY staff all of Atlantis? I mean comeon. We find this huge Aincient base and after 5 years we only have maybe 100 people on a base that could robably hold 50,000?
Those are a few reasons why Im glad to see it go. It was boring...

 

[boushh]

Thanks for the info witchie. I agree with you with the stunt deaths, but I stuck around through them because I liked the world and the characters enough to stick around.

 

[diankra]

Sums up my feelings on the subject pretty well.

So, Galactica and Atlantis end this season. That's two down.

Three, effectively, as there won't be an actual season of Doctor Who next year, just four specials. Unless I'm missing something, that leaves Sci-Fi with Eureka... and the new stuff (which hasn;t been its strong point for several years now).

 

[V]

Of course, they're in full damage control and trying to put a good spin on it by saying "but the story will continue as straight-to-DVD movies!

That's a load of bull: for all intents and purposes the series has been canceled


They tried to forced BSG to be "like Stargate" with standalone episodes too much, but really...

...this is what Scifi Channel always does; hype up its "flagship show" but then abandon it as soon as the ratings dip, then wreck it and mismanage it

First, Farscape. Then remember, scapers, when we were upset that they basically abandoned Farscape for "Shiny new show" Stargate SG-1?

And now they have abandoned Stargate for....Eureka (as they joked in the final season of SG-1)

but I absolutely hate the fluff of Eureka (literally every episode the plot is "town of geniuses can't solve a problem that Joe Sixpack sheriff can, thus making redneck viewers happy and confident that they're really superior to "Smart people") even that wouldn't be too bad, (TOO bad) but its utterly formulaic and repetitious; every episode is basically the same and the overarcing storylines are non-existent

even critics that LIKED the show (i.e. SfyfyPortal) have admitted "wow, in the 3rd season of Eureka the honeymoon period" of being a "shiny new show" has worn off, and its actually pretty boring"

********so this marks another step towards the END OF THE SCIFI CHANNEL! (hurray!)

without Stargate and WITHOUT BSG, and with Eureka tanking, and with Caprica probably going to flop.......what do they have? WHAT DO THEY HAVE?!


****and I've always hated Atlantis, for the following reasons:

• it was actually advertised as the "darker" version of Stargate, the not-for-kids darker Stargate. But it ultimately turned into the "little brother" Stargate, the sillier light-hearted Stargate
• The first season was pretty good, because it actually WAS dark and dangerous. Remember when emptying an ENTIRE P90 clip into a Wraith would only briefly STUN it? Now, Shepherd kills dozens of Wraith at once while shooting a pistol around a corner, without looking
• The Character of Ford literally went nowhere; I mean Enterprise had problems with this too, but even Mayweather got ONE OR TWO episodes devoted to himself; they had SOME plans; turns out, they had literally NO plans for what to do with Ford as a character, even as a thumbnail sketch from the pilot script! So they got rid of him after a season....and Ronon WAS a step up even if he's self-acknowledged to be their Chewbacca
• Dr. Weir. Horrible, Horrible character. I can't express this enough: at least Ford had the excuse that he didn't do ANYTHING, but what Weir did she did BADLY. I mean......and its hard to describe this....remember when Weir would say any dialogue, and like, if the time were coming back from a mission through the gate, she'd walk up and say "well, John, you sure did just come back from that mission".....and she'd say it in like this....weird sarcastic voice, as if....as if she thinks she just said something witty or made a joke. But she didn't! The character was never developed and just didn't get any real storylines or do anything. It didn't help that she stayed in the base most of the time.
• Killing off Carson Beckett: okay, remember when we were saying how dumb it was to "kill off" Starbuck as a "surprise" when we knew that they were setting her up for a "surprise return"? Look, on a certain level I can forgive that, because "in theory" they were pretending she really was dead. But when they "shockingly killed off Beckett".....literally.....I mean literally two weeks BEFORE THE EPISODE EVEN AIRED, they openly leaked the news that Beckett would be retruning in the next season. EVEN BEFORE THE EPISODE AIRED, we knew he wasn't "Really dead"......how is this shocking?
• Shepherd is an O'Neil clone. He's not particularly fun or exciting....granted, that means he isn't....particularly "bad" compared to like Weir or other mistakes they've made, but I will say he is derivative
• Teyla is and always has been an utterly useless character. Notice how like, even SyFyPortal said "season 5 is good because they started using Teyla less and McKay more". I mean....we MAKE FUN of the "cliche Hot Alien Babe who is Good At Martial Arts but Needs To Be Taught How To Love"......but they went and made Teyla ANYWAY. She's the Seven of Nine Hot Alien Babe or the T'Pol. And why do they keep playing up the possible Shepherd/Teyla relationship when she already has a child with someone else? It was the usual "oh, maybe the two main characters are in love!" storyline trope that never gets acted on. It got boring and predictable really fast
• The Wraith were never developed as characters, to the point of literally not having NAMES for three seasons on the one hand, it is scary to have a "faceless enemy".....but then, it became BORING that the Wraith don't have names or specified characters........they're just ***Generic Bug-Eyed Evil Aliens!*** to the point that they actually made it a gag that they don't have names: "I'll call you Steve" or "Bob". ****They DID start making real "enemy characters" with like, Michael....who I admit was a good villain. And they did start using Todd-the-Wraith who is a character; but they started doing this FOUR SEASONS INTO IT. The Genii were a good enemy for maybe the first season but then they just played themselves out (once they resestablished contact with Earth and have like, a Daedelus-class cruiser, the Genii weren't really a threat anymore) so who was left after that? what can we do to introduce a "new exciting villain?
• The knee-jerk reaction to "just bring back the Replicators" when they needed a "NEW" villain ("no, wait, they're new! we call them the "Asurans"!.....but then don't bother to do that and just call them the Replicators!")
• the series simply got boring. Like, on BSG or other shows, the good guys don't always fully win with like, the "ending neatly wrapped up in a bow". Atlantis ALWAYS ends like that with everything magically working out as if someone waved a wand.
• the first season was pretty good, and on top of that it was exciting because it was "new", but then without the wonderful old paring of the old Scifi Fridays of "SG-1/Atlantis/BSGseason2", it just wasn't worth it.

So I did actually keep watching Atlantis purely because nothing else was on, but:

I'm not going to watch Caprica (oh, well I'll "Sample" it in the first season but it will be just "me watching it on TV to try it" not "I come online to talk about it" because I'm not a fan, and I predict it will be cancelled after one season after everyone realizes "1-this isn't a prequel about the Cylon Revolt 2-Ron Moore isn't involved at all 3-this isn't really BSG"

BSG is ending

the Stargates are going to be gone

Eureka is failing and I don't even watch it anyway

I don't watch their cruddy reality TV

they can't even fall back on Doctor Who reruns because they're taking a year off on DW

What do they have left?!?! NOTHING! "When BSG ends, its all over"

Warehouse 13 and Revolution sound like more flops from the folks that brought us Flash Gordon

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

^ What, did Sanctuary spawn out of nowhere?

What was that, seven or eight fifteen-minute webisodes that no one but some "Stargate" fans watched? Certainly not a breakthrough as a "successful continuing series." In fact, their own measure of success seems to have been to sell the series to basic cable rather than continue to focus on new media.