Why the random episiodes?

[GotNoRice]

I met with a friend I hadn't seen in years. Last time he was over we had something of a stargate SG1 marathon so I asked him if he had continued with the series and what he thought.

He said that he stopped watching it when the show stopped taking itself seriously. Asked for a few examples, he mentioned that one episode that had nothing to do with Stargate at all but was just "teal'c plays a firefighter". Yeah, I did think that was a bit odd.

He also mentioned about when O'Neill was a general, and his overall apathetic attitude, like the actor didn't even want the role.

I have to agree with his sentiment, though in my case it didn't stop me from watching the rest of the series. Do others agree that the series didn't take itself seriously enough toward the end? What possible reason could they have had to make an episode about firefighters that had nothing to do with Stargate? It seemed almost like something Christopher Judge wanted to do on a personal level and the producers just said "ok".

 

[Harvey]

The series never took itself totally seriously -- one of its virtues, in my opinion. Having said that, I rather like "The Changeling" (which features Teal'c as a firefighter).

 

[bigdaddy]

He also mentioned about when O'Neill was a general, and his overall apathetic attitude, like the actor didn't even want the role.

It was never serious, but at the end they clearly stopped caring.

However O'Neill was made a general because the actor didn't care. He wanted to leave the show and spend more time with his daughter. They made him a general so he wouldn't have to come in and work as much.

And they had random Earth episodes because they were cheaper to do than "alien" episodes.

 

[46379.1]

What possible reason could they have had to make an episode about firefighters that had nothing to do with Stargate? It seemed almost like something Christopher Judge wanted to do on a personal level and the producers just said "ok".

Of course it's Stargate, what are you talking about? It's a character based episode that moves the Jaffa story forward. Do you remember the episode at all? It seems like your focusing too much on the firefighter thing.

 

[SG-17]

Stargate SG-1 followed the old "Planet/Monster of the Week" episode format that was used in Star Trek TOS/TNG and the X-Files.

While the later, like Stargate SG-1, had an overreaching arc it was mostly standalone (or apparently standalone) episodes.

The one you mentioned, The Changeling was a very important episode for Teal'c's character development. Many standalone episodes are used to develop characters, like A Hundred Days for example.

 

[The Wormhole]

The Changeling ("the firefighter one") explores Teal'c's subconscious and offers some in depth insight to the character. And since it's the episode where Teal'c and Bra'tac go on tretonin, it's pretty important to the arc of the series. To say this has no relevance to the series is like saying Far Beyond the Stars has no relevance to DS9.

And yes, it is a well known fact that when O'Neill was promoted to general, RDA had his mind on things other than the show.

 

[AJ86]

I think in season 8 they stopped caring, RDA in particular, which would have filtered down to the rest of the cast. When the première of that season came out I was watching it with a mate, and the turkey sandwich line prompted him to turn and say "they're just taking the piss now aren't they?". Season 8 was the low point of the series for me, despite how epic Reckoning/Threads was. I do feel though they kind of tried to bring back a hint of seriousness with the Ori arc, they just couldn't let go of the lulz enough.

 

[DWF]

Season eight was the highest ever rated season of SG1 and it was meant as the end of the series but the show was renewed again. Given the amount of money spent on the Ori village and the major league guest stars of the final two seasons I don't think they gave up on the show.

 

[AJ86]

Actually season seven was meant to be the end of the series, and Atlantis was meant to carry on from there set in the Milky Way with the Replicators as the main villains. It was only when SG-1 was renewed again that they invented the Wraith and Pegasus Galaxy for Atlantis and went the wrap-up route for SG-1. I don't think people meant the writers gave up on it, more the actors. They knew their positions were safe, and RDA in particular started really phoning it in from season eight onwards.

 

[DWF]

Actually season seven was meant to be the end of the series, and Atlantis was meant to carry on from there set in the Milky Way with the Replicators as the main villains. It was only when SG-1 was renewed again that they invented the Wraith and Pegasus Galaxy for Atlantis and went the wrap-up route for SG-1. I don't think people meant the writers gave up on it, more the actors. They knew their positions were safe, and RDA in particular started really phoning it in from season eight onwards.

Seasons six, seven and eight were meant to final seasons of the show, I believe there was even a series ending wrap party after season six ended. And the actors continued to write and direct eps. in those final seasons so I really don't think they gave up either.

 

[SG-17]

It a shame that we will most likely never see Stargate: Revolution (or whatever the name was for the movie about the revealing of the Program to the public).

 

[The Wormhole]

Actually season seven was meant to be the end of the series, and Atlantis was meant to carry on from there set in the Milky Way with the Replicators as the main villains. It was only when SG-1 was renewed again that they invented the Wraith and Pegasus Galaxy for Atlantis and went the wrap-up route for SG-1. I don't think people meant the writers gave up on it, more the actors. They knew their positions were safe, and RDA in particular started really phoning it in from season eight onwards.

Seasons six, seven and eight were meant to final seasons of the show, I believe there was even a series ending wrap party after season six ended.

Although seasons 6, 7, and 8 were all meant to be the final season, with 8 they really thought tthe show was going to end and even originally planned what eventually became season 9 as the first season of another series to be titled Stargate Command.

 

[gturner]

I think the uncertainty was the reason the quality of the story arcs generally declined toward the end, or rather, the series became too focused on a less interesting arc. If everyone thinks they're wrapping it up, there is less long-term planning and brainstorming sessions, less outreach to other writers, and generally less thought devoted to coming up with interesting arcs and stand alones.

 

[DWF]

Actually season seven was meant to be the end of the series, and Atlantis was meant to carry on from there set in the Milky Way with the Replicators as the main villains. It was only when SG-1 was renewed again that they invented the Wraith and Pegasus Galaxy for Atlantis and went the wrap-up route for SG-1. I don't think people meant the writers gave up on it, more the actors. They knew their positions were safe, and RDA in particular started really phoning it in from season eight onwards.

Seasons six, seven and eight were meant to final seasons of the show, I believe there was even a series ending wrap party after season six ended.

Although seasons 6, 7, and 8 were all meant to be the final season, with 8 they really thought tthe show was going to end and even originally planned what eventually became season 9 as the first season of another series to be titled Stargate Command.

I don't think anybody in the Stargate production office wanted to make series at the same time. The name change from what I remember came after the renewal following the eighth season.

 

[AJ86]

It's because Syfy wanted most episodes record.

 

[The Wormhole]

^^Which has since been broken by Smallville.

 

[Sindatur]

^^Which has since been broken by Smallville.

Oh, hush, you.

What is it? 8 or 10 episodes more (SG1 had 10 Seasons, 5 or more at 22 episodes and the rest at 20; Smallville was 22 all the way through)? Take the DTV SG-1 stories, and you can knock another 4 episodes off the difference, so it's barely broken

 

[Spock/Uhura Fan]

It's because Syfy wanted most episodes record.

Yeah, but I'm not sure that it counts for Syfy because 5 of those seasons were on another network, iirc.

Re: Smallville

I think they were on the same network the whole time, so it really counts for the CW. Not that this matters much anyway...

 

[AJ86]

Smallville certainly has more episodes, but science fiction? Meh. It's only a North American award anyway, Dr. Who beats them both for consecutive and total episodes.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's because Syfy wanted most episodes record.

Yeah, but I'm not sure that it counts for Syfy because 5 of those seasons were on another network, iirc.

Re: Smallville

I think they were on the same network the whole time, so it really counts for the CW. Not that this matters much anyway...

Even that's open for debate, since the CW wasn't established until 2006. Smallville would have been beginning its sixth season, the first five were on the WB.

So, really, it's the same situation as Stargate. Stargate has five seasons on Showtime, five on SyFy, Smalliville has five on the WB and five on the CW.

But yeah, Doctor Who has both beat. Twenty-six consecutive years, it'll be a while before that's beaten.