Stargate Universe (Season 1)

[Rappy Veteran]

Sci Fi Channel isn?t about to let down ?Stargate? fans.

The network is set to announce the order of a new series from MGM Television, ?Stargate: Universe,? that will mark the third entry in Sci Fi?s longest-running original series franchise.

The greenlight comes on the heels of Sci Fi?s confirming Thursday that ?Stargate: Atlantis? will not receive a sixth-season order. The ?Universe? pickup ensures the continuation of the popular ?Stargate? franchise, which has been on the air in various incarnations since 1997.

?Universe? will premiere as a two-hour movie early next year and will assume a regular hourly slot in the summer. Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, co-creators of ?Stargate: SG-1? and ?Atlantis,? will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series.

The new show will involve more space-based action than ?SG-1? or ?Atlantis.? With the ?Star Trek? television franchise having folded in 2005 and Sci Fi?s ?Battlestar Galactica? airing its final episodes next year, the network hopes ?Universe? will become sci-fi fans? new favorite space-travel series.

?We?ve had great success with ?Enterprise? repeats on Monday night, and there?s clearly an appetite for space opera as ?Battlestar? goes away,? Sci Fi president Dave Howe said. ?There?s an opportunity to keep the space opera as part of our programming strategy.?

?Universe? introduces a team of explorers who find an ancient unmanned ship called the Destiny. Unable to return to Earth, the crew must fend for themselves aboard the ship, which has a preprogrammed mission taking them to the far reaches of the universe. (Full description below)

The series will employ a new cast of characters, with the network seeking a known performer for one lead role and fresh faces to play the rest of the ship?s crew. Appearances by former cast members from ?SG-1? and ?Atlantis? are very possible.

Howe said the new series will reinvigorate the franchise by targeting a younger audience.

?This is an opportunity to reinvent this franchise and make it relevant to a new generation,? Howe said. ?We really don?t want to be more of the same. It?s going to build clearly off the existing franchise but with a cast that gives it a younger vibe.?

Said co-creators Wright and Cooper: ?In ?Universe,? we plan to keep those elements that have made the franchise a success, such as adventure and humor, while breaking new ground in the relationships between mostly young and desperate explorers, thrust together and far from home. Above all, we believe the Stargate itself remains an enduring icon with infinite potential as a jumping-off point for telling stories.?

Also on Thursday, Sci Fi announced an order for a two-hour ?Atlantis? movie in lieu of a sixth-season order.

Airing two-hour movies of such franchises as ?Stargate? and ?Galactica? and quickly releasing the films as stand-alone DVDs has been a successful strategy for the network. But the news depressed ?Stargate? fans that the long-running sci-fi television franchise, like ?Star Trek? a few years back, was going to be retired as a weekly series.

?SG-1? ran for 10 seasons, launching on Showtime in 1997 then moving to Sci Fi after its fifth season. The spinoff ?Atlantis? premiered in 2004 and will mark its 100th episode this year. Friday night airings of ?Atlantis? have averaged more than 2 million viewers per episode.

Sci Fi has not yet made a decision which new project might serve as a companion for ?Universe? next summer. The network has three pilots under consideration, including the terrestrial-bound ?Battlestar Galactica? prequel ?Caprica.?

>> Here's a more detailed description of "Universe":

After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate's ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed.

What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.

The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny's original mission.

Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny, but only for a brief period of time before carrying on with its pre-programmed navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures.

/source

[mad_onion]

awesome, i'm sad that atlantis is over but something new should be good. the plot sounds like it could have a lot of possibilities.

[zeta_immersion]

sweet man, looking forward to this and the game when it will come out ... (sad to hear they are ending atlantis tho) ... is all good

[Corris Veteran]

Good stuff.

Seems very similar to a Star Trek Voyager approach, which isn't bad, I loved voyager.

Looking forward to this. :D

[Matthew S.]

This sounds more and more like Stargate the animated series...

[Xero]

Better have a hot female crew member..

[Antaris Veteran]

This is the announcement I've been waiting for! Finally we might get to see what that bloody nith chevron is for. Getting them to that ship no doubt. I do like the voyager-esque idea of the series, Voyager was a great show, shame they kinda cocked it up at the end.

Still waiting for that Stargate MMO!, mind you, still waiting for Startrek Online too.

I wouldnt mind Sci-Fi ordering a new Startrek series to, possibly one back home, take notice of all the things that made The Next Generation so great.

[ATGC]

Great news :D

"The new show will involve more space-based action than ?SG-1? or ?Atlantis.? With the ?Star Trek? television franchise having folded in 2005 and Sci Fi?s ?Battlestar Galactica? airing its final episodes next year, the network hopes ?Universe? will become sci-fi fans? new favorite space-travel series."travel series.""What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.

The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny's original mission."ginal mission."

Sounds like ST Voyager?

[Rob2687]

Better have a hot female crew member..

That's pretty much guaranteed. It's a sci-fi show.

[minkcar]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rappy Veteran]

Better have a hot female crew member..

Its a given.

[39 Thieves]

Sci Fi Channel isn’t about to let down “Stargate” fans.

Then sure wish they'd stop CANCELING THE SERIES. Gradually all the same cast members will filter over to this show as well. Don't see what the point of canceling each series is, if it's basically the same people, doing the same things, in somewhat-different locations, probably fighting a marginally different bad-guy race. =/

[DrewJW]

AWESOME!

This does sound like the dogs nuts in terms of Stargate tonnes of ship action and no basic set action.

I really hope this does last the term of more than 5 seasons.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Wow, this new Stargate show might actually be good. I'm looking forward to it but I don't like the fact that we'll have to wait until summer for the actual episodes. The 2-hour movie should be good. The longer, the better. :)

[mbtx__]

Wow, this new Stargate show might actually be good. I'm looking forward to it but I don't like the fact that we'll have to wait until summer for the actual episodes. The 2-hour movie should be good. The longer, the better. :)

'Universe' does sound pretty cool, but cancelling Atlantis is just bloody stupid! SG-1 was such a high rating show for Sci-Fi, but they cancelled it, Atlantis isn't bad, but they cancelled it. Why oh why do they keep cancelling good shows, turning them into stupid 2 hour movies.

How about Sci-Fi actually keep a Stargate show going long enough, and let it run properly, instead of screwing around with it and trying to annoy fans/viewers.

[MrKuro]

"younger vibe” .. that phrase scares me (please dont screw with the stargate formula too much)

that being said, i have some hope for this series... maybe

and I too am bitter about sg1 being cancelled ... and now atlantis cancelled after this season. why the hell start another series? sg1/atlantis still had/has life in it!!

Edited August 24, 2008 by WolfDV

[Antaris Veteran]

AWESOME!

This does sound like the dogs nuts in terms of Stargate tonnes of ship action and no basic set action.

I really hope this does last the term of more than 5 seasons.

But Stargate was never about spaceship travel, it was about exploring worlds through the gates, not at the last minute, become Star Trek. I miss the early seasons of SG1, season 4 in particular was brilliant. And they also strayed from those base religions, explaining why there was religion on earth. Its something no other Sci-fi show has done. Now, don't get me wrong, I will enjoy it, I just wish it was something more akin to the original film.

[.Neo]

It sounds like Star Trek Voyager with Stargate tech instead... :/

[Richard Hammond]

'Universe' does sound pretty cool, but cancelling Atlantis is just bloody stupid! SG-1 was such a high rating show for Sci-Fi, but they cancelled it, Atlantis isn't bad, but they cancelled it. Why oh why do they keep cancelling good shows, turning them into stupid 2 hour movies.

Maybe because Atlantis was doing crap in the ratings? Maybe it wasnt making them enough money?

Just because you like it doesnt mean Sci-Fi should keep pumping multi millions of dollars to produce 20 episodes.

How about Sci-Fi actually keep a Stargate show going long enough, and let it run properly, instead of screwing around with it and trying to annoy fans/viewers.

Stargate SG-1 technically was only on Sci-Fi for 5 seasons also, it started off on showtime then switched to Sci-Fi for another 5 seasons.

Do you have millions and millions of dollars it costs to make a series of Stargate? If you had it to spare youd make damn well sure you would get a return on your investment just like Sci-Fi does, if everyone pirates it and records it on DVR and skips all the adverts thats a lot of revenue down the pan.

Maybe it had nothing to do with money, maybe the story had naturally run its course, coming up with 20 stories every 6 months while trying to fit it into the Stargate "Universe" is no simple effort.

Yes its sad that Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis dont have a tv show anymore but youve gotta look at it at all angles rather than acting like a spoilt child just because Sci-Fi has cancelled one of "your" tv shows because its so popular they have to cancel it just to spite you.

[Antaris Veteran]

^ I think you need to calm down

[Richard Hammond]

I am calm im just bored of people crying because Sci-Fi has cancelled a show they pay to create, its not like they are cancelling it just to annoy people.

[Rappy Veteran]

Exclusive: Stargate Universe Concept Art!

SCI FI Wire has exclusively obtained the first concept art for the upcoming Stargate Universe, which reveals the new look and feel of this latest spinoff of the Stargate franchise.

The images show a bit of the new ship that will figure prominently in the show. Stargate Universe centers on a simple reconnaissance mission that turns into a never-ending quest as a new crew of Stargate explorers gates onto the Destiny, an Ancient ship that is unable to return to Earth. They will travel to the far reaches of the universe, encountering new races, enemies and adventures.

The Shuttle Bridge

Corridor Hub

The Airlock Door

Ancient Console

[Source]

[Xero]

I wanna see the cast, anyone know when shooting starts?

[Budious]

"... and there?s clearly an appetite for space opera as ?Battlestar? goes away..."

That's a stretch to assume that a fan base that appreciates good scripts, good acting, and a quality storyline are going to settle for the next chapter in the Brad Wright/Robert Cooper crapfest that has become the Stargate franchise post season 7 of SG-1.

[QuarterSwede]

That's a stretch to assume that a fan base that appreciates good scripts, good acting, and a quality storyline are going to settle for the next chapter in the Brad Wright/Robert Cooper crapfest that has become the Stargate franchise post season 7 of SG-1.

Amen. Exactly how I feel.