The Actual Motive Stargate Atlantis Was Canceled By The Sci-Fi Channel

The 2000s have been a fairly unbelievable time to be a science fiction aficionado and provided a lot of huge, profitable reveals from varied franchises — that means there was one thing for each taste of fan. Trekkies had “Star Trek: Enterprise,” the completely killer “Battlestar Galactica” reboot reignited the struggle with the Cylons for a brand new era, and we even had a quick sci-fi Western by way of the ill-fated “Firefly.” Followers of the wild 1994 Roland Emmerich film “Stargate” equally had an entire string of TV spinoffs to take pleasure in, beginning with “Stargate SG-1,” which expanded the world-hopping storytelling from the movie into an entire expansive universe. “Stargate” centered on the idea of literal stargates, i.e. big and historic round portals that allowed for journey between worlds, and it was moderately distinctive even among the many crowded sci-fi panorama.

For a brief time period, it appeared just like the “Stargate” franchise was in every single place, as there have been three TV reveals all working fairly near concurrently. Then, proper when it appeared like “Stargate” was at its peak, it began to collapse. First, “Stargate SG-1” was cancelled simply after its tenth season and two hundredth episode in 2007, after which “Stargate Atlantis,” its profitable spin-off, bought the axe in 2008. The announcement that “Atlantis” could be ending was particularly stunning, and although the Sci-Fi Channel introduced plans for a separate spin-off and a wrap-up “Atlantis” film, it was an actual bummer. So, what the heck occurred, and why did the Sci-Fi Channel (because it was recognized on the time) take out an awesome present earlier than its time was actually performed?

Like an awesome many issues on this world, the cancellation of “Stargate Atlantis” all got here right down to a matter of cash. The 2008 U.S. financial disaster induced a weakening of the U.S. greenback, which had a fairly main impression on the present’s price range. The collection was produced in Canada however financed within the U.S., which meant that it merely turned increasingly more costly to make the present because the U.S. economic system tanked. In a weblog submit explaining the present’s cancellation on the finish of season 5, govt producer Joseph Mallozzi put it fairly succinctly:

“With 100 episodes beneath our belts, rising manufacturing prices, and the US greenback’s steep decline, the percentages have been stacked in opposition to us.”

A later weblog submit elaborated on the truth that even when “Atlantis” had gotten a sixth season, it is not possible that it could have continued past that. Exhibits are likely to get dearer with every passing season since actors are capable of demand greater salaries (whereas followers demand greater manufacturing high quality), and Mallozzi felt that “by season seven, the prices of manufacturing the collection would have most likely surpassed [any] upside advantages.”

That sadly meant beginning contemporary with a brand new “Stargate” collection, “Stargate Universe,” which some followers blamed for “Atlantis” concluding when it did. In the long run, although, the collection wasn’t the “Atlantis” continuation that followers wished, and “Stargate Universe” was cancelled after solely two seasons.

The “Stargate” franchise could be a tiny bit complicated to know at first, and since “SG-1” and “Atlantis” ran concurrently, it may be slightly tough to know easy methods to method the reveals. There isn’t any one actually right strategy to watch the “Stargate” franchise, although typically it is all the time finest to start out with the 1994 film and work your method ahead from there. Sadly, there’s not likely a satisfying ending for “Atlantis,” because the film that was promised by no means got here to fruition and the adventures of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), and the remainder of the “Atlantis” solid of characters merely ended when the present did.

Flanigan informed followers at Edmonton Expo in 2014 that he really tried to purchase the rights to “Stargate Atlantis” from MGM in order that he may make a film and end issues correctly, however sadly throughout MGM’s chapter, the casual settlement was misplaced as the corporate was restructured. That meant that he needed to attempt to begin the entire course of over once more with Spyglass, which now owns the MGM library, and sadly it wasn’t considering his concept of taking pictures a 20 episode reboot of “Atlantis,” as an alternative focusing its consideration on a film reboot with Emmerich. Sadly, that reboot is just about useless within the water as effectively, and for now, it appears like we might by no means get to see a correct farewell for “Stargate Atlantis” and even one other “Stargate” entry in any respect. Perhaps we simply must discover a stargate for actual and journey to a future the place we are able to make that occur.