Stargate Universe Ax Puts Stargate Atlantis On Hold

January 3, 2011 · by Marty Shaw · in Television

While most Stargate fans won’t be missing Stargate: Universe (check out some of the comments about the cancellation), there is one bit of bad news resulting from the show getting the axe; the Stargate: Atlantis DVD movie has been put on indefinite hold.

According to TV Squad, executive producer Jospeh Mallozi recently shared the news with fans on his blog, saying, “I’m sorry to say but the cancellation puts the brakes on whatever progress the ‘SGA’ movie had made in the past month, shelving it indefinitely. The cancellation of ‘SGU’ is very bad news for those looking forward to an ‘Atlantis’ movie.”

Mallozi also mentioned that while another addition to the Stargate franchise isn’t planned, he would love to set up a new show at some point in the future.

Even though SGU got thrown in the trashcan, fans that actually enjoyed the show can catch the remaining episodes when they air in the spring.

Personally I think slamming the brakes on the SGA movie is a pretty dumb move. SGU changed the formula that Stargate fans loves, which is why it suffered an early demise. SGA gave the fans what they wanted and I think interest in the film is still high.

The executives should wake up and realize that not liking Stargate: Universe does not mean not liking Stargate: Atlantis.

Tags: Science Fiction, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis

About Marty Shaw: Marty is a freelance writer who enjoys all things related to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror... with a strong interest in super heroes, too (just so they don't feel left out).

AnonymousPanacea

“While most Stargate fans won’t be missing Stargate: Universe”

Don’t let the loud minority fool you. There are a group of rabid anti-fans that take time to post on any article they can find about SGU. They don’t represent the majority of the fan base, who mostly love the show.

Chris

TOTALLY AGREE!

There is a loud minority, there was a petition to get SGU taken down, it was online for months and only got 680 signatures (mainly from the misinformed and angry). Within hours of SGU’s cancellation there were thousands of signatures wanting SGU back, tens of thousands of tweets asking for it back.

So yes, the haters are a minority /
gtrallstar

this is bull alot of pple ar busy during the nights of the week and have to dvr or record the show to watch later idk how the numbers are down i was a fan since 2 years to the end of sga and when the final episodes aired i was soo expecting big things from sgu which about “forever” later it finally aired and i loved it it was everything and more it far reached over the expectations i had for it and im sure many agree im sorry but this is a mistake that syfy will come to regret and is also the reason why theyre ratings are what they are they finally get some shows that are on the brink of wild expectations and they flush it im almost tempted to say eff syfy ive been a fan since they first started with mr stitch and now they get so good that theyre too good for this show franchise screw them. get it together syfy!!!!

Matt

That excuse is invalid. Eureka and Warehouse 13 got over 2 million viewers the following Tuesday at 9pm on Syfy.
john

1st thing… ‘idk’? just write ‘i don’t know’ you pretentious twat!

2nd thing. sgu rules. atlantis is a bad comedy in comparison. both good shows. frak syfi! may the one true god have mercy on your souls.

John

‘sgu’? just write ‘Stargate Universe’ you pretentious twat! haha, jk, lol, but seriously stop hating

Chris

IDK. I’m a HUGE Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis fan and have watched every episode multiple times — but for the life of me I couldn’t sit through 2 of the SGU episodes. They are so pathetically boring and drag on and on in despair and misery. Sadly, the writers of SGU have literally sucked the life entirely out of the Stargate franchise like a hungry wraith.

susan j. sager

Could not agreen more with you. This was a different Stargate TV show and I was enjoying it – still trying to understand some things, but it was noteworthy and interesting.

Susan
Anonymous

Turning SGU into a soap opera was a major blunder.

Steven

That’s not true — I am a real fan of most Stargate series, but Universe was a real disappointment.

My main concern is that they will not make another series.
Sherry Coulter

My whole family are big stargate fans and we were just starting to love this new one. It took a little while but I fell in love with a lot of the characters and we even had real aliens that looked like aliens!! I was really looking forward to the future of Stargate. I am sad that it has been axed. Silly Scyfy channel!
http://stargatecomplex.com Jayson

I disagree with you saying “most Stargate fans” as I believe that the people who don’t like SGU is a minority. SGU was an awesome show and brought a lot of depth to the show and its characters.

mackason

If you thought SGU was an awesome show, you’re either delusional, insane, or have horrible standards and don’t watch anything good.
Well, that’s what I think.

Relict

Mackason, I think you’re either delusional, insane, or you have horrible standards and don’t write anything worth reading.
That’s what I think.

Jack

Stargate Universe was exactly what Stargate needed as a franchize, so obviously SyFy had to go screw it up. Atlantis was a hige disappointment in my opinion, nothing like the quality of SG1 in terms of originality and interesting characters. It didn’t help that the actors in Atlantis sucked. When Universe came out, I was expecting the worst but was pleasently surprised. The characters are actually beleivable and like able (save a certain Senator’s daughter). The writting in Universe is also far better, surpassing SG1 at times.

The style while being a departure, was excellant. Battlestar is one of the best sci-fi tv shows in recent momory, but not due to the story. We already heard much of the story back in the 80s. No what made Battlestar great was its dark and gritty atmosphere, which gave the ancient ship a realness which Destiny captured beautifully. The second season, while not being as interesting or as well writting as the first, hasn’t been too bad, and the addition of long awaited recurring aliens is fantastic.

I am not surprised Universe is getting cancelled, despite the quality to which I hold it. It is not stargate in the SG1 sense and thus it loses that flavour. The bitter flavour of Battlestar is hard to swallow, and I think damaged the fanbase enough to convince SyFy to halt the sci-fi franchise in its tracks.

Will

SG1 and SGA had the right formula for a successful show. It is not difficult to see how this works. Start with a great villain, (Wraith, Goa’uld) add some characters who are likeable (Sheppard, Jackson, Ronin, Tealc) and add the on-going chance of Earth being conquered. Voila, you have a series that will run at least 5 years. I can’t figure out why they would go with SGU. The characters stink. The actors are worse. If any of them are killed off, who cares? If the ship is blown up, who cares? Rush is awful. The series had a good chance to get rid of him when Young left him on that planet but they brought him back and, big surprise, the show has been cancelled. It is a miracle that it lasted as long as it did. At least with Star Trek Voyager they had some good encounters with the Borg and Species 8472 and the Hirogen. The more I watch SGA, the more I am sure that it is better than SG1 but even the worst episode is SG1 is far better than the best episode of SGU.

Terry

the Hirogen, Borg and 8472 were not in the first 2 seasons of Voyager, non of them were seen until the end of the third. your arguement seems flawed

Will

I reviewed a few of the later episodes from Seaons 3 and 4. You are right, they should have cancelled Voyager sooner. The Hirogen and 8472 only seemed good compared to the rest of the lousy episodes. They really don’t stand up well, regardless of which season they appeared in. You may be right about SGU as well. Given enough time, the producers of the show might be able to produce an episode worth watching. They should start again with this one, Destiny is boarded by Wraith who spend the rest of the season slowly and meticulously sucking the life out of each member of the crew, saving Ely and Rush until the last two part episode. After the fans are guaranteed that we will never see the SGU crew again, the Wraith can pilot Destiny back to Earth and crash it into Brad Wright’s house. (For producing such garbage.) Part two of the episode can start off with the Wraith sitting around a table in a dark room laughing at how spineless the wimps and cry-babies on Destiny were. The camera pans out and we see the SGA team tap each of the Wraith on the shoulder from the darkness, your SGU buddies are avenged and we can continue on from where SGA season five ended.

Chris

There is a loud minority, there was a petition to get SGU taken down, it was online for months and only got 680 signatures (mainly from the misinformed and angry). Within hours of SGU’s cancellation there were thousands of signatures wanting SGU back, tens of thousands of tweets asking for it back.

SGU was a DAMN fine show, and most people (ie, +1.5 million Americans) will and are missing the show.

Matt

Where are the 1.5 million Americans who love the show? Only 1 million watched Season 2 live. Now I suggest you read up on the Nielson box household system, SGU didn’t have physically 1.0-1.5 million people watching live. Like any show it had a certain number of Nielson box holders watching lol.
Anyhow. I’ve hardly seen a fuss kicked up over SGU being cancelled. Only on Gateworld, and the Save SGU twitter spammers.
SGU will fade into obscurity like Caprica and will be forgotten but known as the series that killed the Stargate name. Kinda like how Enterprise killed Star Trek for a while.

Sidney

Well the show ain’t canceled til the last of the show. The only problem with Stargate Alatis and Stargate Universe is this maybe Stargate Universe was gonna unlock the mysterory of Alatus for the Movie, So we do know it was the Antaints that built the ship. The problem now days is TV broadcasting is just becoming a circles of competeing shows, that also have to compete with our time. Also another thing is WWF was in danger of being dropped from TV veiwing so they invaded Syfi What does science fiction have to do with anything WWF(world wresting federation or now Allance). It just takes up slots for Sci-Fi shows. I don’t have a thing wrong with WWF but I do think I have something wrong with the owner that owns WWF blah humbug. Go find a cartoon network to steal! or still the cooking network for WWF. If you want Stargate Universe to continue so we can watch the movie that was planed take a leaf out of Star Trek Fandom you know thoughs fans got the Original serries uncanneled.
and to the Owner of SyFi WWF don’t belong on a SyFI channel 3 time slots for WWF is screwing SciFi programing. We are geeks that watch the show. The other problem is this not everyone can watch the show and the rating system is half assed because thoughs that get randomly picked for the nielson rating system might not like StarGate SGU so if you want the show back flood the Niesen TV rating company with complants:)
501 Brooker Creek Blvd
Oldsmar, Fl 34677 They are the ones in charge of gathering concesses and if know one on the thing records stargate universe they rate the show badly. Remember Stargate Alantis can’t continue into movie until Stargate Universe gets to a certain point.
dom

It’s really a shame to see JM acting like this.Yes sgu was cancelled coz lack of rating or audience.He should admit his own mistake.I heard Syfy remain interested in SGA movie.JM know nothing.Despite the rates he seems to be surprised Syfy cancelled sgu when SGA had 1.6 in its last season sgu only got 1.0.BW and JM made wrong choice.I don’t see how these people could push again sgu in other format direct DVDs or on other channel when this last series is not enough profitable.Audience desperately down poor sales rates around the world down too.
The future of the franchise will go through 4th series or mini series or SGA movie.The only ones that don’t see this are JM and BW who will never admit their mistakes.This looks like bitterness and some stupid vengeance.
These people produced series to entertain people and they failed this time.
JM announced over his blog we’d know at the end of the last week if sgu would have found another way.And as usual nothing came.
In addition JM and BW have never fought or made something to keep alive the hope to get SGA movie so nothing has changed.
They forget SG franchise belong to MGM not to them.If MGM/Spyglass want SGA movie they will produce it.Despite what JM said it will be probably with new producer new crew.He has only worries about his job not about the franchise and never about SGA movie.
I don’t see why sgu cancellation would change the progress made in the past months when sgu was below 1.0.
It’s just another propaganda and lie.
To be fair I’d prefer to watch and buy SGA movie with another producers not these ones that just killed in only 2 years the most successful sci-fi franchise.:(
http://NA TMAN

@Chris

Just because a group has a financial interest in the show, then signs a petition under 50 different names, doesn’t make SGU a good show.

If the show was any good, more people would have watched it live, and the DVD’s would have sold.

When SG-1 and Atlantis aired new episodes, I was there, eagerly waiting on the sofa, and usually not alone.

When SGU aired, myself and most Stargate fans did not tune in to watch.

It seems that a sub-group of Stargate fans kept on watching, and a new, more fickle group of drama lovers tune in, once in a while.

That doesn’t bode well does it? It doesn’t sound like the reaction to a good show does it?

Well no, obviously, it doesn’t.

The show stunk. It had too much melodrama, not enough substance. Not enough adventure, fun, science, fiction. A bunch of teens being all emo in space, does not constitute a Stargate series.

A group of young people holding military ranks that they couldn’t possibly have earnt, and whose behaviour is that of untrainable babies, is also not a picture of the US Air Force. Another nail in SGU’s coffin. SG-1 had advisors.

SGU is too unbeleivable, not credible.

Thank goodness this turkey got cancelled.

BluePalasky

I personally loved sg-1, atlantis and universe. i was sad to see it cancelled. also, you wanted to talk about universe being unbelievable, look at the stargate franchise. they go through a wormhole to other planets, it’s not a very believable show to begin with its more about the entertainment.

Warzog

I’ve been a science fiction fan since the 1950′s, and I practically drool at the announcement of a new sci-fi show.
Most recently, I’ve been a fan of the Stargate SG-1, and Stargate Atlantis shows, where one can follow the exploration of the universe in more detail than in many previous sci-fi shows.
When Stargate Universe was announced, I was saddened at the ending of Stargate Atlantis, but hopeful of the promise a new direction might take.
I have watched every episode of Stargate Universe, and I am quite dismayed. Imho, Stargate Universe is about a bunch of religious crybabies in a “Lost in Space”-like show, but handling it very poorly. “Will Robinson” had more guts & brains than the folks on “Destiny” ever will. (and he had much better writers to boot!)

Matt

None of the Anti SGU people had any effect on the ratings. The Syfy channel audiences just didn’t like the show.
I think people forget that just over 2 million people tuned into the premiere back in Season 1. These are likely your SG1/SGA fans watching SGU for the first time. Now over the course of 30 episodes the numbers have been dropping quite sharply over a long period of time.
This is simply because the audience doesn’t like the show. It isn’t fun, it’s not enjoyable, there’s no likable characters, no one to route for to save the day. It simply isn’t a Stargate show as we know it.
Now. SGU fans keep making excuses for the shows demise, it’s verging on ridiculus. Eureka and Warehouse 13 both had christmas specials that aired in the same timeslot as SGU a week after Episode 10 of SGU. Both drew over 2 million viewers. Syfys audiences just don’t like the show. Simple as. It’s not due to haters, or a rabid group of anti sgu people. It’s the audience deciding the show isn’t worth their time.
marcia

i personally didnt like the idea that SGA got cancelled and i hated the idea of SGU back then. But being a Stargate fan i watched it and SGU grew on me. It was different that was i used to watching. so now i’m utterly disappointed that SGU got axed! what the hell? and now no SGA movie??

Matt

Did you forget Marcia?, we evil SGA fans killed SGU according to the producers.

Lauren

Yeah. Those of us who prefer something uplifting and funny once in a while to the endless slew of dark and gritty shows and miss that are the ones to blame for this…

tmc

always wanted 2 no why the reason was and how they seeded galixys the idea of the ancients doing this was emense sgu gave uthis knowlage u understand how big the universe is ………..sg1 fans shame on you atlantis was a good story lines poor acting got better s4 s5 this is just childish evry1 has ther own pref just gutted tho we will not find out what whould have been ………. rip
The MOM of Mr Rambunctious

Im sorry to see them go. I love the Stargate series all of them and really enjoyed the new Universe episodes. Id love to see them keep it. I do miss Atlantis. Why is it when a good show comes on the powers that be seem to mess it up.
sirmonkey

the reason SGA movie is canceled is that there’s a key part in SGU that has to do with SGA and the movie. if they cant show that key part then what the heck is the point in doing the movie.. the SGA movie’s about them using Atlantis to save the earth from The Alliance, SGU serves a key purpose in showing how they find out how to defend the earth from The Alliance attack.

also who ever wrote this article needs to be let go when you label something as the majority which obviously isn’t the case. do some research next time before pulling another New York Times and miss reporting.

Matt

You have no proof of anything you just said.
It sounds like to me that the SGA movie being derailed is more to spite the fans they believe killed SGU more than anything.
Anyhow. These are the producers who cancelled SGA when it was getting close to 2 million viewers in its 5th season. You know, almost double what SGU was getting live.

SG Fever

Im still cut SGA got the ax.And the movie too!,Ouch!.I havnt even started to watch SGU,and now that is cut too.Da hell is going on,cant be a no sale product,coz the SG fans are hard.Can anyone enlighten me,what the crap is happening?
JR

SGA was the one of the best I was very upset about it getting the AX and SGU was ok but not the same. There is a big fan base for SGA and they need to get the SGA movie on its way this is leaving fans hanging and unsatisfied.
Joseph

If movies like Human Centipede can get funding, SGA movie can get funding. Basically, the Producers are only trying to punish the SG fans for the failure of SGU at this point.

Matt

Exactly. Someone mentioned it being linked with the Lucian Alliance plotline but that in my opinion is garbage as the SGA movie script was finished before SGU even started. It’s been one of those long running drama things. They say it’l go into production in 2008, doesnt happen, cast say it’l come 2009, doesnt happen, they hope for 2010, doesn’t happen. SGA Extinction is likely a Wraith plotline as they remain unresolved in SGA and Atlantis shouldn’t be on Earth imo..
Lauren

Ugh. I agree with you. You can practically hear it in his tone just reading his quote. “I’m sorry to say but the cancellation puts the brakes on whatever progress the ‘SGA’ movie had made in the past month, shelving it indefinitely. The cancellation of ‘SGU’ is very bad news for those looking forward to an ‘Atlantis’ movie.” On it’s own, I’d be inclined to believe he’s serious, but after the whinefest made about how SGA fans who were disappointed in SGU need to grow up…

I’m sorry. I’m bored with dark and gritty. I watched Atlantis because it was -fun-, and I think a lot of other people did, too. Certainly everyone I watched the show with.

Leslie

I am sorry to hear that there won’t be a Stargate Atlantis movie. I loved the series and the last episode of season 5 did not feel like an ending. I loved the characters, the premise, the action and the direction the show was heading. I guess I will just have to hope they keep writing new Stargate novels.
Benjamin

I was enjoying SGU in Australia. Then Channel Ten, the channel showing it here, moved SGU timeslot to play ratings game.

When these kind of games are played and you are forced to watch on Youtube, it makes it much harder to keep watching.
Diane

I am just sick that SGU is being cancelled, grant you it was not as good as SGA but it was just beginning to get interesing and I am especially sad because now there will not be a SGA movie which I was really looking forward to. Another thing, get rid of Smackdown which has no business being on Syfy, it has nothing to do with science fiction.
Rubyred

This is heartbreaking news and sincerely hope that the new movie plans for STARGATE Atlantis Extrinction will be back in high gear once again. SGA is one of my favorite SCI-Fi/Action TV shows (plus Stargate: SG-1 is another fav) it stood strong for 5 Seasons & it should of been an 6 Season for SGA!!! It had an amazing strong storyline & Cast of Acting talents Flanigan/Col. Sheppard, Ms. Luttrell/Teyla, Hewlett/Dr. McKay, Momoma/Ronon, Ms. Jewel etc.,. along with Heyerdahl/TODD The Wraith. This show Stargate Atlantis was just incrediable and to have it’s DVD movie put on hold (which should actually be on the big screen) is a crime due to the failing ratings of SGU. Stargate Universe was okay but I couldn’t connect with that Sci-fi show/the storyline wasn’t powerful enough…’Whereas Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate Altantis have a more indepth storyline(s) and their both SCI-Fi Classic’s!!
http://bebo DannyUPTHERA

I prefared stargate universe to stargate atlantis, i thought that some of the actors / actresses in it were terrible.. with the biggest example being teyla for me… stargate universe got off to a slow start i’ll admit but the second season has been fantsatic and it was gearing up to being a brilliant storyline (with the signal that originated at the beginning of time being found being destinys mission purpose)…. stargate SG1 will always be the best but!
http://bebo DannyUPTHERA

And yeah, SGA fans who refused to watch SGU deserve this… the producer has the right to be totally gutted that something he has put alot of work into has been cancelled due to the vendetta against it, so yeah he probably is doing it out of spite, SG1 was the best, SGA was good to begin with but i thought it got childish (mackay constantly acting the idiot, etc) and SGU was always shown on the worst time slots. hope the SGA movie gets scrapped now, just to piss these people off, just as I felt pissed off that SGU got scrapped
Rubyred

STARGATE Atlantis has an phenomanal Cast of acting talents (so mentioned in my previous comment under Rubyred. I lov’ all of them especially Col. Sheppard, Teyla, Dr. McKay, Ronon, Jennifer etc.,. and TODD The Wraith & also Actor Conner Trinnear/MICHAEL The Wraith)and very much look forward to seeing their movie SGA-Extinction put back into plans for the big screen. Stargate Universe needs some help from the other STARGATE hit series SG-1 (I lov Actor Richard Dean Anderson/Col O’Neill my fav) & SGA to direct-support the SGU in a stronger path. But this should of been done at it’s earlier stages/the Writters should of known that yet still you never know: I found out that SGA Dr. McKay (Actor David Hewlett) is making some guest appearances but not as Dr. McKay on SGU to give it support/help it along. I thought that very “nice” of them to do and hopefully it won’t be to late to save everything at hand! Much respects.
Andrew

I am very sad to see SGU go, but I am not surprised.
As soon as they killed off girl from the Lucian Alliance who our favorite kid fell for. I saw the demise, that was just bad writing.
http://benjaminperrinphotography.com Ben

I am so sad to see Universe/Stargate go. Robert Carlyle was brilliant in this series. It had so much more depth than Atlantis and maybe even sg-1 and I really can’t believe that people are saying otherwise. Maybe they have never properly watched it? The problem with SGU was that the first half of season one was too boring. The rest has been brilliant but they failed to keep that core group at the start. It has also been good to see the best two actors from sg-1 (Michael Shanks and Richard Dean Anderson) make appearances in sgu. There were simply too many simple minded people that never gave this series a chance. I really do hope they continue it on in some way. I bought season 1 on blu ray and will do the same for whatever they bring out next.

In the end it is a bit like Firefly and Kings. Seems as if people are too stupid to enjoy good tv anymore and just want to be fed mindless dribble. So sad. The score from SGU was so much better than previous series. Keep stargate alive!!!
jatomrob

After reading the previous posts, I now understand why they canceled SGU. The average mental age of the quote “Stargate Fans” is between 10 yr. and 12 yrs. They want a space based wrestling show. So go for it Execs. They deserve what they get!

Matt

Silly you.
Stargate fans want a Stargate series. You know the stuff they’ve been watching for the past oh almost 15 years now.

Stargate Universe didn’t fall into that catergory and was rejected.

Sorry Sir.

Sgfan

I agree with Matt. Stargate universe was nothing like the shows we know and love. I’m gutted they’ve canceled the Atlantis movie. What a bunch of w…..s !!
And by the way, thanks for the insult jatomrob, some of us just want entertainment, not a space reality show and just for the record I thought Robert C played a miserable character.
Mike

It was a mistake to turn SGU into a soap opera. I would not expose my family to a morally ugly show. Get the human drama out of it and go back to great stories. I still like star gate atlantis and starters.

Chris

“The executives should wake up and realize that not liking Stargate: Universe does not mean not liking Stargate: Atlantis.”

Exactly! Couldn’t agree more.

Will

I figured out the solution. The last episode of SGU should start with the Wraith boarding Destiny and slowly feeding on every last member of the crew so that the fans will be assured that we NEVER have to see them again. After all the crew have perished, the Wraith should pilot Destiny back to Earth and feed on the producers. Bring back SGA!

radcarz

theres no point arguing the point that the show really wasnt that good i mean come on i know what will happen pretty much exactly in the next episode when before it came out all it was was killing more ppl and making decisions that in the end kills more ppl in the beginning it was ok ppl were gloomy except for eli but then they had to kill someone eli really cared for in cold blood so now the entire ship is gloomy there really isnt any point in continuing if it did continue at the end of it all there would be only 3-5 survivors left if any the way things were going

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