Eight days until the tweet storm to end all tweet storms!
You ready? Let’s do this!
Hey, head on over to youtube and subscribe to Stargate Command for a slew of Stargate-related video exclusives. Like this Brad Wright interview in which he talks about the show’s fandom –
And if you aren’t already following Brad on twitter, you should do so now: @bradtravelers
Oh, hey, looking for the perfect holiday gift for that Stargate fan? Well, Giant Freakin Robot has you covered:
https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/stargate-gifts.html
Put me down for a half-dozen coasters.
Came across the following article yesterday:
Stargate: What Killed The Franchise And Who Will Bring It Back
And couldn’t help but weigh in –
“While Star Trek gets all the headlines, the Stargate franchise has a history of success which for a time, seemed ready to rival Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. Until it didn’t and after nearly twenty-years and millions of fans, the entire Stargate galaxy collapsed.”
Collapsed? Really? There was a 12 year span between the end of Enterprise and the premiere of Discovery – compared to the less than 9 years since Stargate: Universe last aired. Yes, it’s been a while since we’ve seen new Stargate, but I don’t think any level-headed critic was sounding Star Trek’s death knell back in 2005. Guys, why so negative?
“And then it all started to fall apart. Times were changing. The serialized format which made Stargate SG-1 a hit in the 90s was over and the golden age of television was in full swing. Linear storytelling with complex plots and heavy character development was the norm and Stargate hadn’t really changed with it.”
A couple of things. The term “serialized” commonly refers to the type of extended narrative storytelling being called “linear” here. Stargate’s SG-1 and Atlantis were episodic in nature while SGU was more serialized. Also, to proclaim that the episodic format “was over” is debatable since episodic television still continues to enjoy much success, especially internationally. Finally, to suggest that Atlantis should have undergone some sort of tonal and structural approach is a reach. Would a sudden shift to a serialized format have secured Atlantis an increased viewership? There’s no way to know for sure but common sense would dictate that a serialized format would make it MORE difficult for new fans to jump onboard a series midstream.
“Then came two more series and before you knew it, Stargate fatigue set in. This was evidenced by the numbers and shelf-life. The popular SG-1 had ten strong seasons. Stargate Atlantis was only able to scratch out five while Stargate Universe could only manage two.”
Okay, the “Stargate Atlantis was only able to scratch out five” line made me laugh out loud. That’s some long-term scratching. While, yes, I think Atlantis could (should have) continued, five years is still a pretty solid run. As for Universe – yes, disappointing it only got two seasons, but I think that pinning “the numbers and shelf-life” (not sure what, exactly, the latter refers to) on “fatigue” is as about as viable a theory as pointing the finger at the shift away from the traditional viewing model, the rise of streaming and time-shifted viewing, the increasingly expanded programming landscape and, of course, as already referenced, the shift to a more serialized narrative structure that was atypical of the franchise.
“While SG-1 took viewers to different parts of the universe, Stargate Atlantis kept them in one place.”
Actually, the two shows were very similar in terms of premise. While SG-1 explored the Milky Way from its base of operations at Cheyenne Mountain, the Atlantis expedition explored the Pegasus Galaxy from its base of operations on Atlantis. Sure, there was a little more time spent exploring the city itself, but it wasn’t a huge shift in the storytelling conceit. Also, said small shift strayed ever so slightly into the serialized-style narrative that the article earlier stated Atlantis had failed to adapt itself to in time.
“In SG-1’s case, longevity could have been its undoing. Richard Dean Anderson was a regular on the series for the first eight seasons and by seasons nine and ten he was a guest star.”
In fact, Rick was actually curtailing his appearances as far back as season 7. But even if you use SG-1’s eighth season as a drop off point, Stargate continued on for another six years, seven seasons, and 140 episodes. Not exactly a last gasp.
“That tweet storm Mallozi mentioned is being organized by he and Wright, who hope to have fans deluging MGM with messages on December 6, 2019.”
While I’m sure Brad is aware of our efforts, he isn’t a part of this campaign. In fact, this upcoming tweet storm is being organized by yours truly, the High Council, Stargate Now, and many other fans. Still, we should absolutely tag Brad (@bradtravelers) on the night of the tweet storm and show him just how strong Stargate fandom remains after all these years.
“But you have to wonder: If MGM is already working on more Stargate as Mallozi claims, then why do fans need to tweet bomb them to spur them into action?”
Because “working on” (development) and “green lighting” (production) are two different things. Over a year ago, there had been no promising news on a new in-canon Stargate series since SGU aired its last episode. And then, months after our first tweet storm, word broke that Brad Wright was in talks with MGM. Just a coincidence? Maybe. And then again, maybe not. I’m perfectly happy to officially chalk it up to coincidence once again if, months after this next tweet storm, MGM announces production on a new in-canon Stargate series.
P.S. Two z’s in Mallozzi.
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Man, it’s been ages since I’ve down one of these online rebuttals. Good times. Thanks to the gang at GiantFreakinRobot for the article. While I may disagree with certain points, I nevertheless do appreciate their taking the time.
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