SGU CANCELLED!

[The Wormhole]

This totally doesn't bother me at all. I knew the ratings the show was getting, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out rating that low are trouble. And you know what? The show just wasn't that good. It took too long to go nowhere. I admit, I have a preferance for action shows, but come on. After a year and a half of no story development in what is supposed to be a serialized arc-driven drama, how the hell can you not lose interest?

Oh well, SGU may have been a disappoitment, but the Stargate francise delivered 12 years of solid entertainment and some of the best moments on television. It will be missed, but as we learned from Star Trek TNG, all good things must come to an end.

The cast has my sympathies for having to learn about this from fucking Twitter. How low and unprofessional of SyFy is that?

Meanwhile, fun fact: each Stargate spin-off lasted half as long as its predecessor. SG-1 lasted 10 years, Atlantis 5, and SGU 2. Okay, 2 isn't half of 5, but it's close enough

 

[DWF]

Let's hope the writers of the show can use this as an opportunity to give the story a faster pace and wrap it up as much as they can like the writers of Dollhouse did with Season 2.

They've already finished filming for the season so what we're getting is what was originally planned for the season.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I tried to watch a few episodes when season 1 started here last year, but the network axed it after a few episodes. Anyways sad news for fans. I'm hoping one day to see it, as currently almost at the end of watching SG-1.

 

[Saquist]

Not buying it.

The producers of a television series told the studio that financed it that despite the willingness of a media channel to continue paying for and playing the show (many of the costs of which are amortized), they intended to fold the show in favor of a new and untested one that would cost many millions of dollars in start-up costs.

That's right...it was Stargates call.
Ultimately they'll have to meet the consequences of those actions. They always intended on going back to Atlantis and hoped SGU would inspire more interest to do it like SGA did with the SG-1 movies.

That makes absolutely no sense at all. You cancel a show and create a new one in order to drum up interest in the canceled show?

There the ones that wanted to "Do something different"

 

[Robert Maxwell]

That's right...it was Stargates call.
Ultimately they'll have to meet the consequences of those actions. They always intended on going back to Atlantis and hoped SGU would inspire more interest to do it like SGA did with the SG-1 movies.

That makes absolutely no sense at all. You cancel a show and create a new one in order to drum up interest in the canceled show?

There the ones that wanted to "Do something different"

So?

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: Acheivement Unlocked: Dead Franchise Status obtained (?)

I would honestly be surprised if the Stargate franchise had any kind of future to it at all. Sure, it was popular in its day, back in 2004 TV Guide ran an article on it calling it the next Star Trek. But it's day is gone. The SG-1 and Atlantis DVD movies have been stuck in development hell, and now that SGU is done for, there is no demand for any new Stargate franchise. And despite whatever popularity it may have had six years ago, it is not a sci-fi staple like Star Trek or Doctor Who. No one is going to care about it enough down the road to want to revisit it. Within five years the Stargate francise will become nothing more than something than something that gets brought up on forums. "Hey remember that cool SG-1 show from several years back?" "Oh yeah, [insert channel here] shows that at [some obscure and random time]. It's a good way to spend an hour." "Are you guys talking about the show with McGuyver in space?" "What the hell is a McGuyver?"

 

[Kaijima]

Re: Acheivement Unlocked: Dead Franchise Status obtained (?)

SGU's failure and the sheer backlash against it probably seals Stargate's fate as a franchise stuck in an uncomfortable position. Its ardent and hardcore fans desire one particular form of the show. Meanwhile, it can't attract fresh blood because of the association its name has and the previous series it is connected with.

Basically, imagine the shape Star Trek would have been in, if the original series had lasted longer and developed enough of an ardent fanbase that The Next Generation was rejected. You can see this attitude in old school Trek purists who turn their noses up at anything but the adventures of Kirk and Co. Those hardest of the hardcore were always a minority though; well-made Trek (i.e. not Enterprise) could always find an audience.

 

[Saquist]

That makes absolutely no sense at all. You cancel a show and create a new one in order to drum up interest in the canceled show?

There the ones that wanted to "Do something different"

So?

So? I don't know...

This is a business and they either canceled because they "wanted to do something different" and they're the ones that said quite bodly afterwards "If you don't like it, don't watch it" and canceled a show that had good ratings to purse other interesting...

That's sounds like secluded artist snobbery not like business men. The point is the decision making wasn't good from the outset, the signs were their that they were screwing up franchises success on a whim...

I'm not incredulous of the statements they've made because it was it was self evident there was something...wrong with the execs in charge.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Re: Acheivement Unlocked: Dead Franchise Status obtained (?)

...well-made Trek (i.e. not Enterprise) could always find an audience.

Rubbish. The ratings of the modern Trek shows declined along a flatting curve, year after year, after TNG left the air. DS9's ratings fell every year along the same curve as Voyager's and as Enterprise's. "Well-made" had nothing to do with it.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

There the ones that wanted to "Do something different"

So?

So? I don't know...

This is a business and they either canceled because they "wanted to do something different" and they're the ones that said quite bodly afterwards "If you don't like it, don't watch it" and canceled a show that had good ratings to purse other interesting...

That's sounds like secluded artist snobbery not like business men. The point is the decision making wasn't good from the outset, the signs were their that they were screwing up franchises success on a whim...

I'm not incredulous of the statements they've made because it was it was self evident there was something...wrong with the execs in charge.

You know what? I have no idea what you're trying to communicate here, probably because you say something different every time you reply. Before, you were talking about how SGU was intended to drum up interest in SGA, and I pointed out that that doesn't make any sense. And then you went off on a tangent about... well, I don't even know what the fuck this is about now. Trying to come up with various reasons for why Atlantis was canceled?

Here's one: poor ratings. Just like SGU. Maybe Atlantis was getting better ratings, but the fact is you don't take a successful niche show and then cancel it because you're bored or want to do something else. SGA's ratings weren't all that great in its final years, either. It made sense to cancel it and try something else, not to revive interest in SGA but to keep people interested in the Stargate brand. Obviously, it didn't work.

I don't think there's really a future for the Stargate franchise at all. The name just doesn't have any cachet anymore. If anything, it might need a reboot like Trek.

 

[Snick27]

Syfy did not cancel SGA. I know that for a fact. The producers wanted to take a risk with a new formula, but it failed.


And this is really sucks hard. With Supernatural and Fringe probably getting canceled too.

Going to have to start reading books or something.

Guess SyFy can have more hours of wrestling. Should rename the station SFWE.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Not buying it.

The producers of a television series told the studio that financed it that despite the willingness of a media channel to continue paying for and playing the show (many of the costs of which are amortized), they intended to fold the show in favor of a new and untested one that would cost many millions of dollars in start-up costs.

That's right...it was Stargates call.

You're wrong, as a little research on what was actually said by SyFy, the studio and producers at the time clearly demonstrates.

The producers simply put the best public face on the situation. SyFy cancelled them but at the same time were actively considering a pitch from them for a series that SyFy felt had potential, so the producers expressed hope and optimism to the press about "new challenges."

You've misconstrued general positive spin and PR for substantial fact. SyFy cancelled SG:A.

 

[Snick27]

Not buying it.

The producers of a television series told the studio that financed it that despite the willingness of a media channel to continue paying for and playing the show (many of the costs of which are amortized), they intended to fold the show in favor of a new and untested one that would cost many millions of dollars in start-up costs.

That's right...it was Stargates call.

You're wrong, as a little research on what was actually said by SyFy, the studio and producers at the time clearly demonstrates.

The producers simply put the best public face on the situation. SyFy cancelled them but at the same time were actively considering a pitch from them for a series that SyFy felt had potential, so the producers expressed hope and optimism to the press about "new challenges."

You've misconstrued general positive spin and PR for substantial fact. SyFy cancelled SG:A.

Dude your soo wrong. Mgm cancelled SGA and even the writers said so.

 

[dru]

At least the final 10 episodes will run. The buzz is they end with a cliffhanger which means it'll suck. Col. Young was the wrong character to build the show around.

The excessive soap elements with Cloe, the knocked up medic, and stones visits to Earth were eye-rolling.

 

[Noname Given]

NBC/Universal should just rename SYFY to "The Wrestling/Unwatchable Garbage Channel" and be done with it.

About the ONLY things it did that were halfway watcable:

- Eureka
- The 2003 BSG 4 hour mini-series and first season of BSG.

^^^
That's it. the rest was/is garbage. It WOULD be nice if someone would craete a channel for science fiction and at least have ONE (I'd love more, but at least ONE who was an honest fan of the genre)

 

[Snick27]

Show was getting better thou. Really wanted a 3rd season to wrap things up.

 

[Listener4]

I was hoping this show would get a third season, as it seems to have been getting better. I hope there will be a good space scifi show to replace it.

 

[Saquist]

You know what? I have no idea what you're trying to communicate here, probably because you say something different every time you reply. Before, you were talking about how SGU was intended to drum up interest in SGA, and I pointed out that that doesn't make any sense. And then you went off on a tangent about... well, I don't even know what the fuck this is about now. Trying to come up with various reasons for why Atlantis was canceled?

Sorry, typing too fast or thinking too fast.
I can only tell you what they said.
They said SGA wasn't canceled for ratings. There were claims that that SGA had run it's coarse from Joseph M. and that SGU would be used to revitalize the ratings and get more interest to make DVD Atlantis and SG-1 movies. (DVD)

That's their words.

Here's one: poor ratings. Just like SGU. Maybe Atlantis was getting better ratings, but the fact is you don't take a successful niche show and then cancel it because you're bored or want to do something else. SGA's ratings weren't all that great in its final years, either. It made sense to cancel it and try something else, not to revive interest in SGA but to keep people interested in the Stargate brand. Obviously, it didn't work

They essentially gave up. The fans responded to the First Strike Saga when they went back to the Replicators. I created some good drama. The fans responded. It was the biggest Up spike the series had seen for a single episode since Season 2. It was supposed to be "whole new direction" but if you believe the press machine it was short lived new direction. Based on the trend Season 5 should have been another steady rise.

They didn't advertise SGA aggressively in the off season with content and the next season was the standard .2 million drop that Atlantis showed every season. (that's not necessarily bad.) Season 4 was a steady rise unlike Season 2 and 3. 2 million watched the last episode. It was the 2nd most highest of the night with the premiere of Sanctuary taking best.

So...the steam was still there, people showed up but the writers and the producers had a brain fart on season 5 after season 4's success. The numbers show this was still a successful series and concept. let me point out again that SGU was NEVER sucessful and never had one rising trend season. Finding failure in Atlantis does't make sense and attempting create another series after a successful series is senseless. it's clear to me that the Producers of stargate had too much leeway and the danger isn't that Stargate will die but that the next series will be puppeted by SyFy NBC because of the mismanagement. Likely the bankruptcy had a bunch of strings attached as they attempted to settle the debt and that's likely the reason why SGU was canceled because it didn't meet the expectations defined in that agreement.

 

[Pingfah]

Eh whatever, I only watched it because it was the only show set in space. It was 75% nonsense.

Hopefully someone will come up with a better spacey type series soon, but i'm not holding my breath.

 

[Pauln6]

I'm disappointed. Sci fi shows have to walk a fine balance between intellectual plots and dumb action and popularity tends to decrease as they head further to either extreme. I also think that they lose casual viewers if ongoing plot threads form too much of the core of a story in spite of hardcore fans preferring them. Babylon 5, Lost, and the Wire pulled it off - but even there, despite being acknowledged as a masterpiece, I think the Wire's original viewing figures were quite low - if it had been a sci fi show with a much higher budget I don't doubt that it would never have had its full run. Not that SGU was of the same quality - nothing is dammit!

At least Stargate has a history of producing TV movies to tie up loose ends. If SG1 comes in and saves the Destiny crew, it will probably sell.