Why Stargate Atlantis was cancelled and Stargate Universe mistake? - Joe Flanigan

[@skylarsayers2429]

I spoke briefly with David Hewlett and he said the exact same thing about having two extra seasons of Atlantis to coincide with the first two of Universe. Had they done that, I would’ve been a lot happier. Atlantis would’ve gotten a proper conclusion, and Universe might’ve gotten its third season given that the audience would’ve stuck around due to Atlantis’ audience seeking more. Oh the “would’ve and could’ve been’s”.

[@CosmicCleric]

I wonder if it just came down to MGM not being able to afford to do both shows at the same time?

[@DavidKnowles0]

The writers were never going to do that. They talk about how they struggle to do Atlantis and SG1 at the same time.

[@DavidKnowles0]

I think Atlantis concluded pretty well.

[@DeathBYDesign666]

Universe had potential like the other shows, it just hadn't gotten it's footing yet. It took both the other shows a few seasons to get going as well, nobody goes I love the first two seasons of Atlantis or SG1 either, I'm sure most would pick the later seasons after that point.

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

SGU jumped the shark with the communication stones. Which broke the basic premis of the show.

[@andreasstuermer4946]

In SGA, everything just fitted... Joe, David and Jason made a very nice team. I really appreciate how he tried to buy SGA to keep it going

[@Kerify]

If Joe actually bought it, we would've had SGA for at least a few more years.

[@dansemacabre6515]

I loved original SG & went into SGA expecting to be disappointed. Grew to love it fast! Sad to see the franchise mothballed

[@Nain617]

agreed .

[@JimmyNuisance]

SGA is in my opinion as close to a perfect Sci-Fi show as I've ever watched. The chemistry, the feelgood atmosphere, the adventure, the stories. I _loved_ that show SO MUCH. I even prefer it over SG1 which I love so much my tummy tingles just thinking about it. Such a shame. Now I can't even stream it anywhere online, it's just exterminated from the world... Not even Amazon has it in europe.

[@andreasstuermer4946]

@@JimmyNuisance maybe we will make additional sessions with artificial intelligence ... StellarDoorway with Bro Flannigan and Rodney McBrain

[@SchnuffiJames]

Stargate Atlantis was my favorite show I was very sad when it was canceled.

[@Flatlower]

same

[@awc900]

Joe Flanigan was pretty much correct. SGU always seemed like MGM was trying to jump on the BSG bandwagon when it really didn't need to.

[@peterpidrak9501]

It’s kind of funny one of my favorite in the authors was talking today about the danger of “writing to the market”. She does military sci-fi, with a strong undertone of romance. She has pointed out if you try to jump on the bandwagon by the time you get a book written, it’s either garbage that you whipped out in a couple of months or if you actually sit on it, still want to have it framed out correctly produce a good solid story it’s gonna be a little too late for the bandwagon. Not to mention everybody who looks at it will go. Oh look, it’s a twilight clone or a 50 shades clone or a Star Wars clone. Even back, then, when I watched it, I was watching Battlestar, Galactica, and I like Battlestar Galactica. I said, I don’t need the equivalent of… We have Battlestar Galactica at home. Of course, I wouldn’t have framed that way back in the day.

[@highgrounder5238]

I disagree. I think it was Brad who said that by the end of SG1 and SGA, they characters were in no real danger, they were too powerful, so SGU was meant to be the exact opposite of that. I think that if it came out just a bit later down the line, it would've been more popular. Clearly the audience was there for a darker sci-fi show, shown by the popularity of The Expanse in 2015

[@Cbricklyne]

@@highgrounder5238 True. But by the same token both things can be true. It's true as Brad said that the SG World had reached a sort of narrative end with essentially the T'auri becoming the most powerful species and race in the Galaxy (in 2 Galaxies, in fact), such that they left themselves with little else storytelling room to go outside of time-travel (which they'd already done) and multiverse stories ( also done that). And maybe the way he saw out of that was taken a bit of that BSG darker tone gritty route in trying to ground the (SGU) team down and make them more vulnerable and not able to just dial up Asgard technology to get them out of trouble. And I also agree that had it come out a few years later down the road, they might have had more success as the tastes of sci-fi fandom had shifted considerably by the time shows like The Expanse came around (And others like Dark Matter and Killjoys following the same darker tone) I also do think it was a mistake on their part to end SGA in order to start SGU when they should have given SGU the leg up and help they gave SGA by having it run concurrently at its start with the final seasons of SG-1 and even having several more crossover episodes. Had they had SGA have its final seasons coincide with SGU's first two seasons at least (and possibly 3,) it would have caught on better with fans and won over those fans who would eventually be angry at the SGA cancellation. Especially if you were still able to get the likes of McKay appearing on Destiny through the stones as a consultant and even others like Ronan and Taelah appearing in cameos.

[@pluckypluckster]

it didn't need to but it was refreshing.

[@highgrounder5238]

@@Cbricklyne agree with the last paragraph fully

[@ferryshuttlex]

it's heartbreaking to see that Joe was so upset, he loved this show so much and i don't blame him cause its my favorite show off all time too. He even went as far that he tried to buy the franchise or something. I love him for that. We need a proper ending.

[@JemHadar422]

He loved the show

[@krane15]

Lets be real. He's an actors. He loved the paycheck.

[@beethovenstrance5042]

Ok, he loved his paycheck. Does that mean he couldn't love his job either? Don't be so naive. There are plenty of people that actually love their jobs; big paycheck or not.

[@kayakMike1000]

I loved the show too

[@RJC369]

Joe Flanigan made me believe in Stargate all over again. Just an incredible actor.

[@davidpanetta5492]

My problem with SGU was that there was always too much infighting between the main characters and not enough problem solving to save their buts and eventually get them home.

[@tonyug113]

yeah -- instead of the fairly light fun SG1 and SGA series -- it was heavy drama , with characters i universally hated -- Interrupting the ships mission for their own selfish reasons - the premise kinda disgusted me that they would try and sway the gate ship from its task for their pathetic worthless infighting lives. I hated it and only watched a couple of episodes, even then skipping through.

[@needparalegal]

Universe was watchable, but I still watch Atlantis every year, I have never watched a Universe episode a second time.

[@adamflores4206]

Joe is great, I hope he has a recurring roll in a revival.

[@jessicalacasse6205]

just saw christopher judge he could still play in 2023 ( black don t crack)lmfao

[@wpatrickw2012]

Stargate: Universe was doomed by MGM executives when they said they were going to try to “appeal to a broader audience.”

[@KENOMAN1969]

Joe is dialed in perfectly to what happened. I always say when things don't make sense follow the money.

[@hb0292]

I watched the 2 seasons reluctantly. It was like a daytime soap opera backstabbing screwing people over, constant power struggle. Really an entire ship to explore, new universe,planets problems to solve they just couldn’t get past the soap opera mode so much potential lost. 😢

[@JJHoover70]

I didn't mind some of the stories I thought most of the cast was horrible

[@iainlyall6475]

oh boy i so agree with your statement.

[@themonkster333]

Nailed it. We called it Battlegate: Voyager. a Body Swapping Cheating A_s Pollical Drama with a Stargate on board for some reason.

[@krane15]

Characters nobody cared about. In fact, I didn't care if they all lived or died.

[@borg111]

I hated the soap opera storyline. After season 1, I didn't care for any of the characters on the show.

[@themonkster333]

Joe Flanigan was completely right. They turned an Action Adventure into a Political Body Swapping Cheating A_s Political Drama that we all called, "Battlegate: Voyager. The only thing Stargate about it was they had one on board. You couldn't watch it with your kids like you can everything else except Battlestar Galactica of course.

[@Sci-fi-Si]

I absolutely loved SGA. The characters were all amazing. SGU totally dropped the ball, a completely different show that was nothing like the Stargate we all knew and loved. It's was devastating SGA ended so early - and abruptly. We all felt robbed.

[@tepidtuna7450]

Agreed.

[@casasdepasymas1]

SG and SGA were the really show we like to see, SGU was never wanted.

[@Falcon2609]

​@@casasdepasymas1Exactly, SGU was straight garbage.

[@dangingerich2559]

The biggest reason I disliked SGU was the power contention. There were people actively sabotaging the mission in order to gain power for themselves. It wasn't cooperative, like the previous shows. There were too many competitive "leaders" within the group, and THAT will completely destroy a mission like that. The people who set up missions like this KNOW this, and would work to avoid it. The SGU group of characters simply should not have been. Easily half those characters should not have been there. The writers drove that as a major plot point, they INTENDED the contention to be a major part of the plot. I hated that. Sure, there can be enemies, and there should be to make it entertaining. It's part of life and the general human mission to survive to have enemies. However, those enemies should NOT be part of the group.

[@KevinSills]

Stargate Atlantis was the best Sci-Fi series ever, it was even better than SG1, the two together I followed religiously for years; it was a sad day when Stargate Atlantis ended. It took me a long time to get into SGU, it did get better; but, if SG1 or Atlantis were still on I never would have watched SGU.

[@andylast1898]

Thank you Joe Flanigan for not giving up.

[@Flatlower]

he's the real deal

[@fijo6207]

Days watching this show and having that giddy excitement we'll never get back. Miss you Joe, and everyone else. ❤" Left Behind" episode was a great mindf*ck.

[@tcstemick]

By far, SGA was my favorite part of the franchise. Admittedly, I do not follow Hollywood types that closely, and so I did not realize that the show had been canceled. When Atlantis arrived off the coast of San Francisco, my thought was that this was the end of the show. I’m sure they could gone somewhere with Talia or her people wanting to go back to the other galaxy, but clearly that wasn’t the intention. SGU was a huge disappointment from start to finish because the show was incredibly dark. The characters had zero hope of getting back to earth. It was incredibly depressing, and when they all went into stasis with exception of the high school kid. He chose to starve to death. Horrible beginning. Horrible ending. Good riddance. If StarGate were to make a comeback (unified SG1/SGA), I would more than likely watch it. It would not matter if it were another series or a movie.

[@colinscutt5104]

Just goes to show how little the people in charge know what theyre doing and how little they care about viewers . if only people like Joe were allowed more of a say

[@Deathtrip420]

It’s because capitalists don’t care about what or why something is good, just whether or not it will make profit. Quality will get tossed aside for the chance to make money.

[@JWH91969]

@@Deathtrip420 They had a money maker in SGA & chose to boot it in favor of SGU. That wasn't capitalism, that was stupidity. The left own Hollywood, TV stations, Cable, & Big Tech. & you really think, "because capitalism?" Go Woke, Go Broke.

[@Nate-BreakingPoint-Interactive]

@@JWH91969SGA was my favorite growing up and I couldn’t stand the stupidity of SGU taking its place. One note about politics, people shouldn’t get wrapped up in extremes putting a large group of people vaguely together to attack. The left vs right thing is why the country is fucked and there’s a spectrum of a little bit of all kinds in similar positions of power. Shit’s too diverse to use labels like left and right or republican and democrat, people want to focus on the drama of who to fight instead of purely on how to make things better and taking action.

[@adamvangesen9166]

The Shuttlepod guys are really killing it lately. We need a crossover event with SciTrek!!! 🖖✌️

[@miller-joel]

They have great guests, but they are too vanilla and "safe." They will not go anywhere near anything remotely controversial.

[@alistairdarby]

Totally agree with you about the reason SGU failed. I remember when it came out and my wife and I were stoked with the RDA cameo, but it was so boring. The characters were all broken in one way. And Rush felt far too obsessive and bitter for a Stargate character. It was so far from Stargate and CLEARLY wanted to imitate BSG.

[@BL33NB]

McKay was crazy/weird too, but you saw why he still got the job... on Universe it felt like "how many insane, unstable and dangerous ppl can we stuff into one place?" lol

[@krane15]

An unwilling leader. But that was true with SGA. Nevertheless, John Sheppard became the leader he needed to be.

[@Kale_Dreki]

@@krane15 SGU leader was only unwilling because of the BS drama with his wife. Others have pointed out, that in reality, 90% of the people on that mission, would never have actually been eligible. Starting with the Leader of SGU and the Doctor chick. (The one that had an affair with the leader)

[@NickNobody161]

My Problem with the first season of SGU was not the different tone or format. It was repetition. 2. episode: we must find air, 4. episode: we must find energy, 6.episode: we must find water. Why? they lost half the season for a story that could have been told in 1 episode: me must refill our ressources. The moment, the aliens came to the show was when it really started for me, but by then it was apparently to late.

[@Kerify]

Yup.

[@al28854]

SGU failed because it took it self past the PG rating and into PG13 + mark for the sake of cheap thrills, the defining moment was pilot episode and seeing those two military officers doing 'it' (not a very family friendly moment and alienated the parents of the children watching) in the janitor's closet/room ..... did I mentioned it was the pilot episode?. I saw it as a Gilligan's Island type show but on a deteriorating spaceship and everyone having fits of depression. What made SG1 so successful was how it kept the humor alive every week and non of the characters were portrayed so seriously with smug faces on (like SGU) despite the intergalactic warfare happening around them, and that's how you sustain a core audience(family friendly) for over a decade long(plus TV movie spin offs) run.

[@martingibbs1179]

@@al28854 The pilot of SG-1 had two full frontal female nudity scenes, SGU was pretty tame in comparison.

[@mshaman86]

It was a good premise and made for good watching. But it was very clearly a BSG clone. They just had to find that Stargate magic to make it work, which they eventually did but like you said it was too late.

[@krane15]

It was a lot more to it than that. Most prominently, the character were all weak. Not to mention the Battlestar Galactica tone where everybody's having sex. I assume they intended to appeal to a different (Gen Y) crowd is more common place.

[@peterpidrak9501]

I think you can definitely argue that there’s no reason to cancel the successful show disturb the new show until you’re sure the new show works. If God forbid, the new show was not successful, which it turns out it wasn’t, it being science-fiction you can have a rescue mission launched from Atlantis, and some of the members of the crew that are successful. Can join the existing franchise or vice versa.

[@descendinguniverse]

Atlantis is definitely my favorite among 3. I mean the main show SG1 was great, no doubt, but Atlantis was just closer to me with its atmosphere in general and actors chemistry. Universe on the othe hand felt like everyone was completely miscast plus those contant and pointless flashbacks made it like the Lost wannabe. Though it had a really great potential to explore the world and meet someone truly alien

[@puddintame7794]

While I thought Atlantis was great, the "wraiths" were a bit too brain bending for me to suspend disbelief.

[@descendinguniverse]

@@puddintame7794 well at least they had a cool goth aestetics 😁

[@abigailslade3824]

@@puddintame7794what space vampires is too difficult to get your head around?

[@krane15]

Well SGA had the most discovery and science. But without SG SG1 there could be no SGA. SG1 also had characters that were all likeable and had unique and distinctive personalities. Ronon's was superficial and a brute, and his people were all but dead. Teyla's has a bit more wisdom, but her people were primitive tribes people. Fighting the Wraith with swords and fire sticks. Who even remembers what either of them were called?

[@descendinguniverse]

@krane15 superficial but still likable as well. Some characters are deeper than others. Kinda gives a sense of contrast. Just like in real life I guess hehe. Of course SG1 was a pioneer of Stargate universe in general (aside from the 1st movie I didn`t become a fan of). Would never dare to depreciate the glory of it. My favorite SG1 arc is probably the Ori one but I enjoyed the whole show. Again it`s all just preferences. I also prefer DS9 and even VOY to Star Trek TNG, just to note how crazy I am haha

[@intuitivme]

They should continue Atlantis and just state that after 14 years, they finally seem to have found a planet where there should be 2 ZPM's or that they are close to finding the ZPM factory. The wraith haven's showed up ad they don't really know what's happening in the Pegasus galaxy. And the aging of the characters would be covered.. some would have moved on, and a new team or teams needs to be formed to go hunt for the ZPM's or to prepare for the trip back to Pegasus with the new ZPM's from the factory.

[@DavidKnowles0]

The idea that any government on Earth would allow Atlantis back to Pegasus is stupid. If Earth want to wage war against the wraith using Tok'ra tunnel technology to build bases to operate out of and using Asgard soup up 304s is much better strategy. Whilsts Atlantis is kept on earth for study.

[@jacobbrown1690]

The ancients made the zpm ‘ s on atlantis lol. Just like the replicaters did in their city.

[@intuitivme]

@@jacobbrown1690 That is an assumption as this was never confirmed as no proof for this has been provided.

[@BL33NB]

@@intuitivme From SG1 and the whole "holy grail" stuff we can assume how ZPM are made, id say the weapon was basically the same tech, just used as a sort of Bomb. Cause come on, they dont have a random factory at floor 16b, fabrication room 1x8rb or something lol They surely made em manually, thats why there was some limit, while ofc the replicators can spam them like AA Batteries, as they dont get tired and are much faster...

[@changbeerbeer]

This was a great podcast with Joe, well worth watching all the way through!

[@kcotaku9921]

Thanks for this. It was nice to get his take. I was a huge Stargate fan until Universe which I always refer to as revamped BSG. I gave up on it after half a season. It felt like a betrayal of the franchise to me. I left Star Trek because of the direction of DS9 and Voyager which left me with less patience for Universe. I pretty much abandoned western media after Stargate and went to anime /manga with no regrets.

[@mike42441]

It seemed like the best parts of SGU took place on the Destiny, rather than the planets they explored. It seems the Stargate technology itself took more of a back seat. The acting was excellent, but Robert Carlyle was the star of the show with his incredible acting, in my opinion.

[@jacobbrown1690]

Robert carlyle would have made a great dr smith on lost in space.

[@alfinpogform4774]

Watching SGU right now, 8 episodes to go. It's way better now than it was when I first watched it. I think that's because SGA was my favorite Stargate show and the change in tone and pace was just too jarring. But now, I'm really enjoying it, even season 1 as slow as it is is rating pretty highly for me this time around. I wished we had 5 more seasons of SGA though. I bet any new Stargate series will be bad though, mainly because it will be probably only 10 episodes per year with 43 weeks gap between seasons, so not real easy to get to identify with new characters over such a disjointed time frame.

[@Cbricklyne]

That's the thing I hate most about Streaming culture. The 10 episodes (....or worse, 8 or even 6), and then you have to wait a whole year for another Season just makes it so had to connect a lot of times with characters in these shows.

[@priestbishop3]

I agree 10 episodes every 2 years wil be terrible

[@vivianhull3317]

I, 100% agree. I hate all these new things coming out are only 6, 8, or 10 episodes long. Sometimes you're waiting closer to 18 months later for the next season. That's even if you remember it at all

[@NorthAveBeachBum]

@@Cbricklyne It's not just the significantly fewer episodes... it's that those episodes are shorter, as well. I can deal with 10 episodes if they're ~1.5 hours long. Instead we're getting fewer episodes with shorter running times... nearing only 30 minutes.

[@krane15]

If you say so. I just finished watching it again from its original run and I clearly remember why I hated it so much the first time. I wanted to give it a second chance, just for good measure. Now I can say without question, it was bad. I just have a much better idea why.

[@deucedeuce1572]

I was shocked when they canceled it. I thought it was terrible that SG1 was cancelled, but I was at-least glad we got 10 seasons of SG1... but I just couldn't understand why they cancelled Atlantis. Then with SGU, they cancelled it way too soon. People were bored with the first 10 episodes (which SUCKED)... but then they cancelled it before it got better and people started to like the show. The story line of SGU was brilliant in my opinion... and when it comes to a new Stargate show, I think a lot of people are most hopeful for a continuation/conclusion of SGU. That seems like a main reason people really want to see a new Stargate.

[@nickwhite5119]

Agreed universe was never given a chance to shine.

[@esecallum]

SGU was awful...pointless contrived bickering nonstop

[@REOGURU]

@@esecallum I have to agree with you. If it's a reboot SGU I won't be interested.

[@esecallum]

@@REOGURU it was truly awful .the endless contrived bickering gave me a headache and hated all of the characters as they were simply unlikeable as acted like a holes.

[@SkotiM]

If love to see a relaunch of SGA where some of the cast go back to fight the wraith without the benefit of Atlantis, but maybe based in the city-ship from the episode the tower. SGU was just "relationships in space", it was like MGM saw BSG and said 'we want that'.

[@michaelmann8800]

I loved SG-1 and SGA. I also really came to love SGU. The Stargate Universe to me is not primarily about the characters and the interactions of the characters. Those are a way to convey the story. The true draw of the Stargate Universe for me is the exploration of the very idea that this ancient race created this system to facilitate interstellar travel that we could experience more or less in OUR present. We didn't have to become a Khardishev 2 or 3 level species...we just needed to discover what this ancient race already created, make sense of how it worked, and be willing to explore. SGA pushed us outside of the boundaries of the Milky Way galaxy, and kept the same basic format to do so, but there is SO MUCH MORE that could be done with the technology of the ancients. SGU dared to imagine one such idea. SGU dared to have humans skipping along FAR away from home. The fact that these humans were not some purposeful collection with ready made chemistry felt a bit more honest and raw to me, and allowed for an exploration of some darker human themes. It was definitely different than the other two series, but I very much appreciated those differences. The only thing that I really didn't care for was some of the music choices at the ends of episodes as they did montages of the crew. That felt a little too "teenage angst drama" to me, especially early on. But as the series matured, this was either phased out or I found the episodes sufficiently compelling that it did not bother me any longer. People probably feel the same way about SGU as I do about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I could never get into DS9. It simply was not my cup of tea. I really didn't care for the characters or the stories. But I don't begrudge the existence of DS9. It has a rightful place in the Star Trek Universe. Similarly, SG-U has a rightful place in the Stargate Universe, and I am very disappointed that it didn't get to go longer. It was becoming a great show. I think both SGA and SGU should have been sold to another studio so they could continue in parallel.

[@stevehoover6073]

If they wanted to do something different, I had always wanted to learn more about the ancients and their technology and hoped they would have explored more of that aspect. Personally the mystery, adventure, exploration and discovery is what interested me most. How they perfectly blended the ancients with our actual history. Not just last minute disocery just in the nick of time of an ancient weapon to defeat the Bigger badder badguy of the season. Dont get me wrong, The action and suspense was great. Not saying they should have eliminated that but it did to me feel a little repetative. That being said I'm watching the shows from start to finish in order for probably the 20+ time so I'm not criticizing the show.

[@hollywoodholmes1]

I enjoyed SGU because it was different. SGA was awesome and I would of loved to seen the proposed SGU and SGA TV movies to wrap up both shows. With the popularity of Star Trek Picard season 3 and MGM now being controlled by Amazon, it is time for SGU and SGA to make comebacks. Maybe the crews of SG1 and SGA could use Atlantis to locate the Destiny of SGU for a mini series for Amazon. This could pave the way for a new Stargate series. I can't imagine Jason being involved, but Joe and Robert could be with some new characters and I could see a new series with Joe as the star.

[@pluckypluckster]

picard s.3- yea im an old trek fan but no ty.

[@OldFellaDave]

Hard Pass ... could you imagine how badly they would destroy the franchise if a new/reboot came up tomorrow?? It would set it back at least a decade or two.

[@Agg1E91]

I adored SG1. I came around to SGA and grew to like and enjoy it ( not as much as SG1, but SG1 did grow a bit stale near the end and SGA was a nice alternative). I also tried to watch SGU. I got 4 episodes in and gave up. It wasn't just that it was different than SG1 or A. I get it. The desire to explore some other aspects of that universe was needed. I just didn't go for the way in which SGU's differences were realized. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I believe enough time has passed that they could use, like they did before, a well-done movie to provide the springboard to a new series. I'd have no problem if they rebooted everything, or just chose not to deal with places and races we were familiar with. That being said, I believe a new series (not so much with the movie) would really need to feel more like SG1 and A and less like U. Not, "not like U at all". Just less like it. Make it about 80% like 1 and A, with 20% being the best aspects of U.

[@jackschwartz1783]

SG1 and SGA were sci fi action/adventures. SGU was a Soap Opera/Drama that took place on a spaceship that had a Stargate. We got more sub plots concerning the characters sex-lives in the first season of SGU than we got in the entire run of SG!, IMO it was truly sad and just torture to watch. Take Care All

[@Darmpa]

I'd love love love to see a modern movie with up to date CG as long as it brings memorable, likeable characters. The series has always lived or died by its characters, the script, their interactions.

[@R005TERILLUSION]

My problem with SGU is that non of the characters were likable and it took me an entire season to warm up to them but by then it was too late and it got canceled.

[@bluedwarf8858]

Sga had so much to offer like the new potential enemy we saw when they were being shifted through different dimensions on that space ship, can't remember the name of the ship, anyway I was looking forward to seeing them being introduced as a new villain

[@michaelguth4007]

As much as I love BSG (and SGU) for all that it is - I can be fed up with gritty settings like this. But I can never be fed up with the light-hearted fun of SG1 and SGA. That positive vibe of the main characters of both SG shows is something I really miss. I wish they would make a show nowadays where there is no constant mistrust, intrigue, and rivalry.

[@annadreamsart9756]

I'm in your camp. It took me a long time to enjoy SGU. I gave it a chance but it wasn't like SGA, an instant favorite. And I was really heartbroken and angry over SGA's cancellation. SGU did seem like a bad copy of BSG in the first season. I still miss SGA.

[@5ONE41]

The thing I've always felt about the SG1/SGA comparison is that while they're similar in format, SGA just executes it *way* better, and execution is everything. The Shepard-McKay dynamic in particular feels like a much livelier, snappier version of O'Neill-Jackson. Having Zelenka around as a foil for McKay felt better than seemingly every scientist character brought in opposite Carter being a one-note joke or jerk (Dr. Lee, first version of McKay, etc). Toward the end SG1 felt like it was wearing out the soles of the formula, whereas SGA around the same time felt like it was doing the same formula with a lot more spring its step. And that alone justifies its existence even if it might seem like "the same show" on paper.

[@krane15]

Nope, they're all separate people and the myriad crossovers proved that. For example, both Teal'c and Ronon are trained fighters/the muscle, that have pledged their loyalty to humans, but in two totally different ways: Teal'c is much older and wiser, and serves as translator, advisor, and guide. In most cases, he's even smarter than O'Neal. He also had a wife and a son and is part of a network of resistance fighters with a cause. Teal'c has honor. Ronon, by contrast. Is among the last few of a dead civilization. He is also young and a hot-head. Sheppard serves as a father figure (or at least an older brother) to him and puts his fighting skills and bravery to good use. He's not a scientist and more of a brute for the most part. If it wasn't for his size, he'd be all but useless. It takes he and Teyla Emmagan to equal 1/4 Teal'c. There's a lot more but this is already too long.

[@ianfurqueron5850]

I believe the Mandy Patinkin show he referenced was Dead Like Me, which my ex- and I absolutely loved. The canceling of shows before letting them cultivate an audience was the start of the decline of the SciFi/SyFy Channel. After a certain point we simply stopped watching whatever the new show was because we didn't want to set ourselves up for disappointment when it got cancelled. While I was unaware of MGM's money issues, the result doesn't change.

[@Lupin788]

It was a bad omen when SciFi rebranded itself as Syfy. But the decline started when the network started airing pro-wrestling and found that was way more lucrative than putting on actual science fiction content.

[@d3mist0clesgee12]

miss all SG show's, bring them all bacc, SGU is underrated and should be revisited.

[@brentkeller3826]

SGU felt more like "Days of our lives" with a little sci fi sparingly veneered on it. The producers seemed to think "space opera" was like a soap opera.

[@Flatlower]

executives couldn't understand farscape....god it was great.

[@peccatumDei]

As you said, they copied the dark tone of BG in an attempt to please critics. They could have told the same SGU story without all the darkness, and it's a shame that they didn't. I watched every episode of SGU, but what really hooked me, was the reveal of Destiny's mission. I can't imagine how that was going to play out, and THAT is/was exciting.

[@dawall3732]

The easiest way to understand it is to figure out which show has the most fan fictions made about it. Very few are made about stargate universe. Many are made about stargate SG1 and stargate Atlantis, they're all over the internet. Stargate universe, not so much.

[@xray606]

I think in true TV exec fashion, everybody was chasing the latest trends... which at that point was the new gritty style that Battlestar had success with. They wanted to do it with StarTrek as well. It was the end of that softer, weekend matinee style of SciFi. Which I think was a huge mistake. Chasing trends never usually ends well.

[@obi-ron]

Either that or the corporate lizards felt that the storylines were getting a little too close for comfort and ended the showd before connections could be made😅😅😅

[@lloydbond13]

It's interesting to hear this perspective. I started watching SGU first, after it was cancelled. I loved SGU. I thought it was great. I was shocked to find out how quickly it was cancelled. So I did some digging and found SGA. I watched SGA, and loved SGA as well. I was blown away at how good the show was and that SGA somehow didn't have an audience so they had to cancel it? Really? I did more digging and found SG-1. SG-1 was awesome as well. Loved it. All great characters, great stories. The different series make sense because the point of the franchise has been the discovery of these Stargates and trying figure out what the Ancients were doing and why. Now that I'm watching this explanation, it all makes sense now. If the studio didn't have to cancel SGA then SGU would have more ramp up time, SGU would have a huge following and fans wouldn't have been disappointed by SGA getting canceled. Well, now I feel like I understand what the heck happened.

[@AGB_2000]

My beef with shows like the new BSG and SGU is that they stretched the damn stories, slowing down the episodes by stuffing them full of personal drama so much they were just too thin to hold my interest. Imagine a person telling a simple 5 minute story, as exciting as it might be, and taking a week to do so... That's how shows like that make me feel.

[@louisbabycos106]

N-BSG Was good and even shined at doing the "soap opera" in space at least . I could not get into SGU it absolutely failed at the "soap opera" in space aspect .

[@krane15]

@@louisbabycos106 It was horrible, and despite my efforts I could continue watching it. It was all those long draw out issues that everybody had, and none of the characters had any redeeming or admirable qualities. Would you have wanted to be any of them? BSG was far too PC and any TV show or movie with men and women showering together is just too ridiculous even with the strongest suspension of disbelief. We're thousand of years more advanced than our ancestor, but we still behave the same way.

[@ScrapKing73]

I liked SGA a lot, and watched every episode. But I *loved* SGU. I’d take the two seasons of SGU we got over 5 more seasons of SGA.

[@sigma80]

I can't blame Joe Flanagan for his point of view. He got screwed out of his payday, (More shows, more residuals, etc.) working with his friends, cast mates, and crew he really enjoyed. It was all for naught, SGU flopped because it didn't attract people who disliked the Stagate "Formula" for the first two shows, and the folks who loved that, were put off by it's change of that. It needed to last longer to get its "legs", like SG-1 did in Season 2 and get going. MGM's bankruptcy did that. I think SyFy hated making someone else's "property" that long term they wouldn't get the long term cash flow from. So both parties screwed the guys in the middle, SGA show and cast.

[@63wem]

I was a big fan of the original BSG. Everything MGM wanted to copy for SGU is exactly what I disliked about the BSG reboot. Hollywood has a tendency these days to push diefunctional relationships, and I don't think that most rational sci-fi fans are interested in that as a core plot. No one on SGU had any chemistry. Just a bunch of misfits that I don't think ever really found any common ground. It seems like everybody either had an agena or got sucked into the gate against their will and held a grudge for it.

[@asodalis695]

SGA had an easy transition because the setting even if it was in another galaxy it felt similar. SGA command was underground and we had the feeling it was cut from the rest of the world. On Atlantis you have the same. A safe base which is also the first line of defense and you went on missions to unknown planets. Having Atlantis gave them a nice setting for the "at home" episodes because they could use it to discover more about the ancients in their more relatable human form. We had a bunch of people who were meant to work that job so naturally they became friends and it felt natural that these colleagues became friends over time despite their individual flaws. SGU had a bunch of random people thrown into a situation where even their "base" wasnt safe and they had no way home. In the beginnig they barely visited any planets and those places were mostly plain boring desolate planets. Because of the format of having a ship travelling at insane speed they couldnt establish real relationsips with aliens or show us their culture or whatever because 30 minutes later they jumped and would never see them again. Exploration is a huge part of the adventure and showing different but familiar cultures too. SGA couldnt show cultures based on ones from Earth but they introduced us new human cultures and the Wraith and we seens them again and again in new episodes. Also SGU had many boring characters and it heavily relied on the main cast to carry the show. Dr. Rush - the character and the actor too - did most of the heavy lifting imo. If you remove him the half of that show is gone and dead. Maybe it would have been better to have a smaller crew around them like 20 people or even less and have more of the dynamics of a family. 9 out of 10 characters were just background noise eating up screentime while noting interesting happened. Also I hated the episodes when they showed them back on Earth dealing with their relationships and stuff because they had waaay too much of that stuff. I dont want to have a sci-fi show that suppose to visit alien planets to spend its time on Earth showing family drama and soap opera. About the cast: Dr. Rush was great, the colonel was miscast in my opinion. Dr Johansen was interesting and the actress played the character well. Eli was okay but they should have establish him better in the pilot showing he is actually a genius. I felt like he was just randomly picked up because he solved a riddle in a video game ..they should have shown more then just telling us he is a genius. Matthew was kinda good ..he had some pretty bad moments but I think they did a good job casting the actor who played the character. Ronald was good for the more experienced soldier who follows orders. Camille ..was okay but they should have cut in half the family drama with her it was exhausting to watch. For the schemeing politican parts on the ship she was good. Chloe ..I didnt like her character at all. We had some okay episodes but 70% was awful and I dont know how much of is the fault of the actress. Brody - he was good and perfectly cast in my opinion Vanessa - she was good too. Lisa - she was okay too. Hunter Riley - again ..he was good. Dale - was okay. Telford was great! Excellent cast there. Senator Armstrong was great too! +2-3 more that I wont even mention who just wasted our time on screen :/ and then you get a bunch of random who will die in accidents, make trouble or gets killed or left behind on planets. Now compare this bloated cast with SGA main cast: John - fantastic ..like it was mentioned in the video he was the Jack O'neill of the show but more intelligent so he is kind of a mix of Jack and Daniel imo Rodney - we have our genius scientist like Carter Teyla - our exotic alien guide in this strange new world - like Teal'c Ford - Another Soldier which works well because Teyla is softer than Teal'c and she is more of a diplomat in many cases Ronon - who pretty much served as a replacement for Ford and was another soldier Dr. Wier - I wish we would have the original blonde lady she was fantastic it's really a shame they didnt offer her the role. I wasnt happy with the cast of this actress - no offense to her - but the blonde lady had that aura of authority around her while she was very feminine so she just shined is the role in the original series. Dr. Carson - later Dr. Jennifer Keller our doctors like Janet Fraiser. Carter and Woolsey later replaced Dr. Wier so its pretty much the same role. We also had Zelenka who was kind of a main supporting character with a lot of screentime so to be fair I have to mention him too. So here we have it ..smaller main cast over more season. We had thanks to this more focus on these characters and some of the were replaced so if we focus on the type cast this crew is even smaller.

[@Thexbin]

I liked SGU but agree it wasn't SG1 or SGA. I also wanted to point out what fans tend to forget. SG1 was only a good show until towards the end of season 2 before it became awesome. It took 2 seasons to hit its stride. I also feel SGA's dynamic took a hit after tori left. The dynamics weren't quite as good after that.

[@KA4UPW]

SGU! What a crappy continuation. They took everything good and fun about Stargate and threw it out the door..

[@DjRenect]

Flanigan was fascinating to listen to. He has so much interesting stories from inside the organization of the shows I have such an appreciation for. A very good interview. I have not seen much of his interviews outside of that podcast, but he came across as an amazing story teller.

[@EMSS-ul8bq]

I remember during SGA's final season, how SciFi kept saying during the commercials for it, "Don't forget to watch the best season of SGA, so far". I use quotes, but it probably isn't an actually a quote. It's the way my brain remembers it. The jist of the ad was very similar, though. I only remember it so strongly because I was so shocked when it got canceled. I was thinking, how are the canceling such a great show, especially during it's "best season, so far". I was a lot younger and didn't follow any of the behind the scene stuff. I was just a fan of another great Sci-fi show. By the way, I agree with you about the similarities between some of the characters on both SG1 and SGA. Joe was a great replacement for RDA, without having to replace RDA. Not that Joe was an exact copy of the character, he was great in his own right. His sense of humor was just something that reminded me of RDA.

[@aurorajones8481]

5:41 They wanted the success BSG had w/ the dark reboot. That "theme" was copied throughout so many sci fi projects I'm sick of it. Most ppl are. It worked for BSG, but its not a theme that works in all applications. Certainly not SG to SGU. I bounced out from that show. It was simply to dark. If i want dark and depressing I already have my life thank you. I watch shows to take me away from that.

[@aurorajones8481]

7:21 Exactly. What a mistake tho. I think many creates miss that fact. We like these franchise's for a reason. STICK TO IT! Its like having McDonalds go from burgers to Chinese food because they want to be different this year. NO! Star Trek should STAY that show where you tune in and have a new adventure every week, Star Wars should have the emperor always in the background plotting with jedi solving it. BSG should always be dark its the fall of humanity. SG should always be an exciting adventure. We go to new worlds much like Star Trek. Keep that theme alive. Idiots.

[@aurorajones8481]

Dont be afraid to branch out. Thats fine. But keep the core alive. Dont rip out the core for your idea of something different.

[@erikrupp692]

Joe is spot on. SGU was too different from SGA. It was too dark, too unpleasant, too un-fun - for a Stargate show. But it was still pretty good. I really appreciate the honesty from Joe Flanigan. He's obviously very passionate about Stargate, Atlantis in particular, but the entire franchise as a whole, too. He was right back then, and most of us have said the same kind of things. They had a great series (I actually prefer Atlantis to SG-1, not a lot, but just a little more), and the producers panicked. Battlestar Galactica was sucking all the air out of the media attention/reporting. They wanted some of that, so they decided to fight fire with fire (never a good idea). They lost the plot. Now, SGU did improve a lot. I would say that the improvements started halfway through the first season. And the second season was significantly better than the first season, overall. I do enjoy the show - but not nearly as much as SG-1 or Atlantis. I miss the fun. It's most obvious when RDA or Michael Shanks show up. THEIR parts don't feel right. The characters aren't right. The shift in tone on the show was so severe that they couldn't even get the characters that they had perfected previously right. Given the premise of the show it would have been impossible to make it AS much fun as SG-1 or Atlantis. However, it could have been more fun and a little lighter than it was. A middle ground in tone between Battlestar and Stargate. They went for the full Battlestar tone, and while it worked great for that series, it didn't fit the Stargate franchise nearly as well. The other thing that I thought really didn't work on SGU was the overuse of sex and (then) modern music. Both of those things detracted from the show. The songs distract from the show (and, truth be told, I just fast forward through them). It's annoying. And Stargate is supposed to be a family franchise - something your 12 and 13 year old kids could watch. Not SGU. So they limited the audience by design. WHAT THE HELL??? So, ultimately, it was, as Flanigan said - a huge mistake. They killed the entire franchise. Canceling Atlantis when it was doing so well made ZERO sense. It was a move made on pride, ego, jealousy, and a little fear. Atlantis was still working, and had at least two more years left in it. It was still a great show, still had the ratings, and the writers/producers were still coming up with great stories. I'm just glad I have SG-1 and Atlantis on Blu Ray. I re-watch the shows every year or 18 months. They have immense rewatchability. I just hope the new series followes SG-1 and Atlantis in tone and style - and continues within that existing universe and continuity. And then they can bring Flanigan back in a recurring role! It's what millions of Stargate fans want. Will Amazon/MGM be smart enough to give the fans what they want, or will they repeat history and make the SGU mistake all over again (giving the fans what they DON'T want). We'll see. (Erik from the B5Alliance)

[@stonewbie5981]

I agree with Joe Flanigan. I felt SGU was too much like BSG, that the producers was chasing someone else's style/format, and that felt like they didn't have the confidence in their own style/format. I thought that was ironic, though, because when I watched SG1 or SGA, I always felt it was good escapism, had good values -- there was a team that meshed well together, the leaders in the chain of command were reliable, I felt there was honor with the characters, and that if I were serving with them in a team or crew that I could also count on them. SGU I felt was watching a dysfunctional family or something, too much personal drama, the antagonist within the team kept escaping justice/punishment in one way or another and that became predictable which took me out of the escapism. To me I felt the better SGU episodes was when SGC was contacting/sending a message or otherwise doing something that I would hope would lead to ultimately change the tone of the show back into the formula that made SG1 and SGA a success. But no... they kept chasing the BSG formula. When SGA got cancelled I felt that was really a mistake. The final season was turning out pretty good, the characters were stabilized and one could see the characters being to grow -- McKay and Keller, for example -- that they were evolving and that was beginning to get captivating. We saw a progression from the first season to the last were the ships and technologies SGA used were also evolving -- the Earth fleet was getting larger with more ships, the weapons and tactics were also changing, there were new allies and hints of political fragmentation within the worlds of the Pegasus galaxy, and I kept wondering if we'll see more crossovers with SG1 aspects within SGA in future seasons. There was so much more the Stargate franchise could offer with all kinds of crossovers, politics of the worlds, and old enemies becoming allies making new threats. The show was great and had a lot more potential. I am still sadden that it was cancelled. I truly hope a reboot is not done, but instead to continue where the story left off.

[@kesselrunner]

SGU got off on the wrong foot with me right away. If your introduction to two of your characters is having them jump each other's bones in a closet, you have lost me.

[@mattjohnson6987]

Its pretty simple: sg1 and sga were wholesome shows, had characters that you rooted for, had chemistry together, had clear good and evil. Sgu had (almost) no characters to root for, had horrible chemistry, had a very muddy sense of good and evil, and while it had a fascinating and engaging plot and potential, its hard to watch every week while youre just frustrated with the characters

[@krane15]

As I said above. Just like Gen Y/Z. Just think short attention span and social media.

[@Touni8076]

Don't change the things that work look at Doctor Who. I enjoyed SGU alot but SG1 and SGA are my all time favorites

[@NoOneFPV]

Joe is right on pretty much every point... However, I enjoyed SGU BECAUSE it was different, because it was darker and had a ton of "critical moments" where things went horribly wrong. At the same time, however, I was rather perturbed at the cancellation of SGA... I felt there was still so much left to tell there... SG-1 still had stories left to tell, but I'll admit that the story lines were getting somewhat stagnant and needed something fresh, a new big-bad that threw everything out the window. The problem I had with SGU was how long it took them to finally get into the bridge and gain SOME control and then the whole drone story... That got old FAST. And then the conveniently returned shuttle from who the hell knows where... That made as much sense as Kara Thrace just vanishing into thin air at the end of BSG. But I've still re-watched SGU at least a dozen times over the years. I'm actually in the middle of rewatching SG-1 right now and SGA is next. MGM shot themselves in both feet and then both knees shortly after but we'll blame that on the head of MGM at the time for simply having no vision. I just hope that we don't get a repeat of The Expanse where they build it up just to cast it aside. I'm less optimistic about Amazon's influence going forward because they have a track record of just ditching a show the moment the ratings turn a tiny bit and not actually investing in a franchise. They're in this for exactly one thing and one thing alone and we all know what that thing is. But, we can hope, right?

[@MysteryMastery69]

If sga and sgu ran concurrently, I am sure the viewership for sgu would have been much, much better. And once they finally wrapped up sga, sgu would have been established and the fan base would have seamlessly moved over. I think all of us feel slighted by the way sga ended to be replaced with stargate: voyager. Something we weren't ready to embrace after what was done on sga

[@warmachine9846]

One thing I didn't like about SGU was the cinematography that you change up in that he was a darker film show. Interpersonal relationships with the characters I was okay with that because no two groups of people are going to be the same. I really didn't like the fact that they canceled Atlantis to bring us universe and then canceled universe. I agree season 2 was where SGU was starting to find its voice and headed had another season I think we would have seen a lot more out of it

[@Guanaalex]

They killed their only cash cow in the stable, period. It was going downhill from that point on. Joe Flanagan is 100% on point with his assessment. Management screwed it up.

[@timothylivingston4135]

I just did a re watch of SGU and my wife watched it for the first time. She loved it and I liked it much better than I did on the original viewing. It played better for me by being able to watch more episodes back to back. The heavy drama in the first season still didn't sit well with me, but I didn't find it as grating this time around.

[@bobmcbobson8368]

Sgu was annoying at the time. It was a jarring difference in tone from Stargate. Taken as a separate thing, sgu is good

[@AurynTwo]

I am somebody that didn't like SGU at the beginning but started attracting me after a view episodes. I was sad when both series was cancelled and actually enjoyed both. Now with all this discussions about reboot and thinking back to it, there is one thing that really disturbs me and that actually in all of Stargate series: the connection to Earth and the fast "learning" of alien technology especially in SGU probably SGA. If in SG1 it made it sense to some extent to have the connection to Earth and having the Tokra and Asgard helping us with the technology, it would have been even more interesting if SGA and especially SGU if they didn't have the connection and didn't have somebody to help out with technology. At times, our galaxy and the pegasus galaxy seemed too small and to many times we had "God power" to use/repair/modify alien technology but we could not build our own gate even if it can be build with some cables and a toaster on Earth. SGU should have been less about going through the gate but more about discovering the Discovery, get to know the Ancients (and their technology) better and all the things/civilizions Destiny has seen on the way. Destiny being so old, should have been the first place to explore (like they started doing in the first episode) but then more or less never saw much more of that ship. Instead, we already have access to the main bridge in less than 2 seasons. All other systems of the Destiny should be wide open by then. I hope that if they pickup SGU again, they spend more time working together to explore the Destiny and the technology behind it because i find the idea of the Planetbuilder sending them home, a very stupid idea. We know that the Ancients planed to get to the Destiny and it was such an important mission that they placed a Chevron extra for this in every gate and I can not believe that the Ancient, didn't plan for a way back. They spend so much energy and time to get there but don't plan a way to take the information they found back to Earth?? I believe that in Destiny (or the seed ships), there should be a way the Ancient planed to come back. It is probably not an energy source to power the gate of destiny but maybe (as example) a program to make a seed ship create a Supergate pieces (or call every Seed ship to one place and them selves are the pieces of a supergate) that will be powered by a sun (or destruction of it) to get the whole Destiny back to Earth. An alternative a super secret program that creates a gatebridge back to Earth across all Galaxies. This path should actually be already in the Destiny nativation system by the way. For series sake (and probably security), the gatebridge, should be in pieces: we have stop in some galaxies to discover a code to continue to the path back to Earth.

[@vidyaishaya4839]

They should have continued SGA, and done SGU at the same time. It looks like it was a financial decision by a company going bankrupt.

[@fenham]

One reason I prefer SGU to SG1/SGA is precisely the reduction in the amount of comedy/slapstick. SGU had a much darkerpremise therefore it was impossible to laugh; SGU’s situation was so desperate and dire. There were no options for humour. I’m currently binge-watching SG1 - so far at season 6. I had forgotten how traumatic the ascension of Daniel Jackson was. 😮 The things you forget over the years,..

[@Scottlp2]

How old are you? Relevant because 20-35YO GOT fans (never seen it) might be natural fit for SGU, more than SG1/A fans who really like humor.

[@FilipOlejkaMusicComposer]

Also, musically SGU dominates them all, Joel outdid himself on that one. That's why I prefer SGU over the rest, but still love SG1/ SGA

[@jacobbrown1690]

Sgu is drama queen stuff. You should watch young and restless and general hospital soap operas if you liked sgu.

[@peterpidrak9501]

One of the things that I always wondered about this time. Was that if you are going to hell for something that is so totally different, and I get financial issues, but why not do them both? I could see if the argument was that starting up a new show with a very familiar feel might draw fans away to the new show or split the loyalties, but if it is that Flippin different… That would seem to be more of a justification to do them both.

[@BeOurGeist]

SG-1 is my favorite show period and I also adored SGA. SGU on the other hand… always felt like it was trying to be something it wasn’t and it never landed with me. It’s heartbreaking to think that SGA was sacrificed for a show with (imo) so much less heart just because it was newer and metaphorically shinier.

[@HepCatJack]

The series Space 1999 had a premise similar to Stargate Universe but the crew of Moon Base Alpha had adventures that were more like what Stargate Atlantis had. Universe could have been better if they had episodes like Dragon's Domain or Catacomb of the Moon, or The Exiles. They should have been able to acquire a derelict ship they could have used as a puddle jumper, either one from the aliens that were trying to board the destiny or convert one of the alien drones to this purpose. Atlantis was able to make allies and find bits of ancient tech that would improve their situation a bit. The only crewmen they were acquired were from the Lucian Alliance from their own galaxy who were human. Atlantis got Tayla that had telepathic abilities and Space 1999 had Maya, a Metamorph. Seems to me that Rush could have brought over a replicator cobbled from both types encountered in the Milky Way and Pegasus Galaxy in a suitcase and activated it to serve a similar purpose including hastening repairs given raw resources to do so.

[@jacobbrown1690]

The guys who did space 1999 did the battlestar galactica reboot.

[@HepCatJack]

MGM came out with Stargate Universe shortly after Battlestar Galactica, so people compared it to Galactica and it looked like a ripoff of Galactica. The crew of the Destiny could never stick around very long to explore anything. The stories were also a bit like rehashed Star Trek Voyager whereas Atlantis was an entire new galaxy and universe.

[@samcarter2371]

I quit watching Stargate after they killed off all my favorite characters, like Dr. Weir, and Dr. Beckett.

[@georgeflaxman]

It was a great Interview, and he still looks young.

[@kevingallineauii9353]

Unpopular opinion, I liked SGU. I did not consider it on the level as SG-1 or SG-A but it was a COMPLETELY different plot. It needed another season or two to further develop the plot line, kinda like the 3rd-4th season of ST:TNG (including "The Best of Both Worlds" two parter that, IMHO, sealed ST:TNG as an iconic Sci-Fi series). I was greatly disappointed when it was canceled. This was on the heels of several cancelations (probably due to the ongoing recession at the time) in the TV Sci-Fi genre. I CAN'T WAIT for SG to return in some form.

[@foxylady1048]

It wasn’t a show that drew the team together like Atlantis. It was a show that had everyone turning on and against each other for power, instead of coming together for the good of the ship. I know how Joe Flanagan felt when he said he couldn’t watch it. It was a mistake in the making. Let us see the rest of Atlantis, then the Universe might bring back the fans, after all its the fans that make the show, is it not. Bravo Joe.

[@jasonworlock5113]

I agree that SGU was starting to find its footing in the second season. The part I find funny is that with SGU they were trying to copy Battlestar Galactica which ran for four seasons with two mini-series (The Pilot and Razor) and the Plan movie. Yet, Stargate before SGU had a theatrical released movie and two series that spaned fifteen seasons and two direct-to-DVD movies. I personally think SGU could have worked if the ship was treated like Atlantis in SGA, as a place for the team to explore and a safe harbor. SGU was an ensemble show, much like Battlestar and that isn't a Stargate series, SGU had too many people and they tried (and failed) to make it so everyone had time in the episode.

[@BL33NB]

Thats what i hated most on SGU... the wasted potential...

[@terrasprite]

Well, I'm on my third binge watch of SGU. I guess I'm a different audience. I was totally immersed in the solid exchange between characters, solid writing of such, and each character was clearly different. I was totally absorbed. Who might live? Who might not? I think the fact that the crew found themselves hopelessly lost across the universe in a ship they could barely understand the function of resulted in their desperation, hostility, distrust etc. If the show had the happy sounding, jolly nature of SG1 and SGA I'd be thinking it was unreal. People start to fall apart in desperate situations I think. Yes, they've borrowed the BSG VFX guys and used Newtek Lightwave 3D.... loved it.

[@jasonworlock5113]

@@terrasprite My main issue with the large cast was that they tried in every episode to give everyone time, making it so you had to split your focus. They had three main groups: the military, the scientists, and the civilians. The writers kept making an effort to give them all equal time and it meant more episodes were needed to get to know the characters and just when we were starting to get a feel for the characters they added another group, the Lucian Alliance.

[@PantherPickle]

I tried to watch Battlestar Galactica and I never got into the new one

[@frbiv8024]

Reminds me of something my grandfather said ones. Son if it's not broken don't fix it.

[@TraneFrancks]

Nice discussion. From day 1, I was an SG-1 and an SGA fan. SGA getting the axe to make way for SGU made no sense to me. And despite me ultimately warming up to SGU in season 2, the loss of SGA is still a hard swallow.

[@bigjay52]

Hey, I was a fan of the Original Movie...Then Atlantis because I didn't have the Cable Channel for SG1, and then SGU....I came back for SG1 thanks to Comet and streaming services 👍

[@SeriouslyJaded]

I’m a big Sci-fi fan and a SG fan ever since I saw the first movie when it came out. SGU was IMO the best series of the entire franchise. Yes, I’m a big BSG fan too though. I guess my opinion is probably not the most popular but I was very upset when SGU was cancelled.

[@zyme5998]

I was the same, but SG-1 went on for too long, and I got sick of it. Serialized was popular and been around a while (Babylon 5, DS9, etc) but many SG-1 fans just felt it was different and didn't give it a chance at first. Besides that, while I loved some of the characters, Atlantis was basic all Wraths [Vampires] and Replicators [Yet again!] and clearly they had been struggling with new original ideas for an episodic format for a long time. SGU combined the two, it's much more rewatchable and easier for the writers to keep interesting in multiple ways...

[@mre9593]

spoilers? it was the cheating part that did it in for me. (SGU) I was interested in the lost speeding ship that they can't get off. but the side stories were brutal. a friend likes the whole concept of the show(but (who did not watch all SG1 and SGA) and asked me to do a re-try I just finished SGA, and there is a channel streaming it so I will give it another try. I pretty much agree with Joe Flanigan..

[@ekcoylejr]

The writers failed sgu. The stories were drawn out in the first season. It needed another underlying arc in the beginning.

[@garyparson8927]

I watched the interview and he has good points about universe being an Atlantis replacement msybe if they had kept Atlantis on for a couple more seasons mightve given universe a better chance but yeah they wanted in on the bsg style now if the first season of universe was like bsg first season it might have been better yes bsg had a resource looking for episode but they did it in an interesting way. Atlantis ended as it was getting interesting not to say it was not before and karma came around to sgu as it was cancelled after Starting to get to the point. joe is honest and sometimes that can get you into trouble. I also found it interesting what he said about RDA taking out dialogue and replacing it with a quip yes it is funny but probably not necessary half the time so leafs you wonder if he was doing it for an easy life especially with his schedule at the time but he was an ex producer so he could get away with that plus he was number 1 on sg1 because it was never the same without him and the original line up but also that was a positive thing too.

[@rw-xf4cb]

SG1 and SGA are similar format a team of 4 usually with the skill set to be independent move quick and back each other up, makes sense for those projects going in and out of the gate system. We even saw other SG teams of 4 so you would think they have a science person, probably some medic, some one who has info around the culture and or a couple of combat guys to deal with any requirements of a physical nature. So SG1 and SGA had that same formulae. SGU as you said didn't really get going until mid season 2, but I recall getting bored with SG1 at the time as it felt repetitive and only with more Gouald and historical stuff using Greek Mythology, Egyptology, Chinese mythology did it get back some interest as well as Thor and his people (little grey men and of course Norse gods etc.). I would say when Anubis turned up did I get back into it and then over the years appreciate it. I had same issue with Babylon 5 it sort of lost the plot and wasn't until the Shadow wars did I get back and then over time appreciate it. Unlike BSG reboot which was entirely addictive due to its dark and grittiness but I was also resentful to replace known characters from the original but I got over that and enjoyed it and still to this day usually repeat the series every couple of years. I just watch SGA again and yeah its great having some characters similar to SG1 and also some of the cast showing up now and then helps as well as pulling in McKay for continuity. The banter between MacKay, Sheppard and later Todd was great as well as minor cast Solenka too made SGA become even more polished over SG1 but Richard Dean Anderson did make the show for SG1 probably had to pull that along a bit where as a tag team of Hewlett and Flanigan made it just hum along. SGU didn't have that so it struggled but it did start to open up 2nd season which was good and then sadly it was cancelled!

[@theepicslayer7sss101]

having seen only 2 episode of Battle Star Galactica and only seen the trailer for SGU and passing in front of the TV when my dad tried watching SGU, i immediately thought they were just trying to be BSG. it is not the same crowd that watches those shows, it put my dad to sleep and he never finished SGU while he still even to this day rewatches old tape recording of SG-1 and SGA with the ads and low quality just from the entertainment value it brought, the story telling mixed with action and movement... the story had small plots that resolved bigger plots... from what i saw from SGU and BSG, those stories are slow paced and too lore heavy, to someone who was watching the previous 2 shows, it is like they were handed a dictionary and was told to read it for amusement, different crowd really...

[@robmorgan1214]

SGU had some great moments. However the constant power struggles and stupid pointless drama were so tedious. The episodes like Air were amazing and shot so well. Sci-fi goes super low tech... normally boring... however, there were too many magic technology escapes in SG1/A. Sometimes surviving by your wits means finding a bunch of dirt and dragging it across a desert while fighting mirages and hallucinations caused by extreme dehydration ... and survival comes down to pure grit. The safety of civilization is GONE. After panic and intrusive thoughts die down the reality sets in. Marooned on a ghost ship that's less hospitable than the average desert island.

[@RichardHallas]

I don’t know if I’m in a small minority or what, but… I’ve never understood what people saw in SG-1. I thought it was absolutely terrible. I endured it once through, but found it by far the least engaging sci-fi show I’ve ever seen. By contrast, I absolutely LOVED Stargate Atlantis. It was just SO much better on every level. Stories, setting, characters, acting, everything… SG-1 left me utterly cold, yet SG-A is one of the best series I’ve ever watched. I can hardly believe they were both from the same stable. Now, having said that… I also really loved Stargate Universe. Heretical?! It came across to me as serious and suspenseful - certainly a much darker show - but almost equally as engaging as Atlantis. I enjoyed it from the start, even though I initially found it harder to follow and rather monochromatic. It was claustrophobic but in a good way. It was dark whereas SG-1 was just dull. Now I must admit that I’m a late comer to Stargate and didn’t experience it while it was ongoing. I actually watched SGA first (and really loved it), then SGU (and really liked it), and finally SG-1 (and hated it!). I endured the whole dreary lot of SG-1, wondering when it was going to start being good. It never did. It remained absolutely terrible throughout, and I’m flabbergasted that such a bad show lasted for so VERY long at the expense of so many other shows that were so much better. How do these things work? Anyway, that’s my perspective - and I just wish that both SGA and SGU could have gone on for longer because I thought the were both terrific. Moreover, they were entirely complementary in tone and content: perfect sister shows that should have been able to exist in tandem and prosper together. If only SG-1 could have been the one to get cancelled so that these vastly superior spinoffs could live…

[@ianbui5356]

I vividly remember Robert Cooper explaining that they needed to kill SGA to make financial room for SGU, but didn't go into much detail and kind of glossed over it, so it was clear there was a lot of things going on that he wasn't saying. I don't know if what Joe Flanigan said is true, but it certainly fits.

[@0815UserII]

I liked Universe, and living in Germany and watching the localization with the time delay that meant, the fact that it outright replaced Atlantis didn't really reach me till much later. What was noticeable was that it didn't really tie into anything else in the franchise to the extent SG1 and Atlantis did especially early on (Egypt ZPM used to send reinforcement and power up the Daedalus). Ultimately it's just sad that Atlantis was cancelled, independent of the two additional seasons of Stargate we got with Universe, especially as it left Universe sort of in a vacuum in terms of what's going on in the wider universe, though ideally a new series taking place in the Milkyway would have been better to serve as central connective tissue for the universe. Still no excuse to cancel Atlantis, they've managed to have two shows going on at the same time before.

[@trekgate3005]

SGA should've never been canceled for SGU. I liked SGU towards the end but I would've rather had at least 2 more seasons of SGA than any SGU at all. Flanigan had a fair point on SGU killing the franchise. It has up to this point.

[@logtothebase2]

Joe has a point but their reasoning for changing things up was valid as well, if the producers didn't feel they had another big story arc in them as creatives, that's probably it! despite the actors still wanting to carry on, they aren't the ones coming up with the stories. Over the two titles they had done four sets of major existential villains, two distinct settings and casts (with some significant overlap) One aspect I think is overlooked is the Stargate was finished as a McGuffin, we had warp drives and spaceships in the end inevitably, it was morphing into a Starfleety Star Trek thing. so I think Joe's chagrin was valid in the sense of the politics and corporate, but creatively they had kinda done.

[@donnafausett2770]

Stargate Universe camp all the way .

[@johncnorris]

The great thing about SGU was you had to watch the show carefully and analyze what you observed to understand it. SGA was pretty two dimensional and clearly used the original show as a template. The content became fairly predictable and it wasn't as entertaining to me as they ran out of new things to do. I wish MGM didn't have such dire financial problems and that both shows could have thrived. Killing SGU the way they did ruined the Stargate franchise for me and I just don't trust they will ever get the magic back.

[@jacobbrown1690]

I hate soap operas and drama queens.