By Wolfen Moondaughter @ PinkRaygun.com

An open letter to Brad Wright, as well as MGM and Sci Fi Channel’s executives, regarding the recent cancellation of Stargate Atlantis:

What the hell are you thinking????

Mr Wright, did you not watch your own episode? “The Shrine” was phenomenal, a shining example of what I look for in a good story of any genre. And you expect us to be able to just let the series go, much less be happy to do so, after a gem like that? I’d hug you for writing one of my very favourite episodes of the series, but, in the spirit of my name, Wolfie, I have a strong urge to bite now.

I see that, in a press release put out the other day, MGM exec Charles Cohen had this to say:

The Stargate franchise enjoys a loyal and substantial fan base that welcomes each new installment with fevered enthusiasm.

I felt sick reading that. Let me point out a serious flaw in this logic: when Atlantis began, is was billed in addition to it’s predecessor, SG-1. Not in lieu of. A good many of us are decidedly unfevered and unenthusiastic regarding Universe.

For myself, I already wasn’t all that keen on the premise of Universe. Understand, I’m not one of those ones who says that a concept shouldn’t be explored from multiple angles, would never say a franchise shouldn’t visit territory already covered by another franchise (or even within itself), but it was a depressing enough concept in Star Trek: Voyager, and therefore is not plot device I’m eager to revisit. David Hewlett summed up my feelings very well in a recent Gateworld interview:

I don’t want us to be completely distanced from SG-1. The whole point is that this is all part of the same universe. There has to be that crossover stuff and that back and forth.

I adore crossovers; it’s one of the reasons why I gave Atlantis a shot. Given that, by it’s very nature, Universe won’t have many options for crossovers with SG-1 or Atlantis, it seems its very name is inappropriate — it should be “Cut Off From the Stargate Universe“!

And I’m not alone in my sentiment. I have noted a great many fans — on Mallozzi’s blog, at Gateworld, and in other ‘Gate-related communities I frequent, as well as in the general sf fandom blogsphere — saying that they had little interest in Stargate Universe to begin with, but would have tried it if it were aired in conjunction with Atlantis. Now that it seems Atlantis was axed so that Universe could get made, they refuse to try it. Despite my misgivings, I was, when I first got wind of it, willing to at least try the new show, particularly given the source, but with this news, you can forget it.

Now, I’m not foolish enough to think that the opinions that are espoused on the net usually represent more than a small fraction of the people who actually watch shows, but coupling it with the fact that everyone in my circle of friends has said exactly that, even people who don’t frequent the net, I’m inclined to believe it’s more than just a handful of loud voices, that they are representative of thousands of fans who are keeping to themselves. So ask yourselves — can you afford to lose even 5% of the viewership? What if I’m right, and that representation is actually much higher? Just because past incarnations of a franchise have done well does not, by any means, guarantee that subsequent ones will.

Ask yourselves — why should we the fans stay loyal to you? Why should we start watching another show, when you may pull the same stuff on us again when that show reaches the five-year mark? You’re becoming like drug pushers — you hook us in, they fix it so we have to pay through the nose if we want more! I could have bought each episode for two bucks a piece on Unbox — twenty hours for about forty dollars. And if TV changes in such a way where I would have to pay two dollars to watch an ep no matter what, because sponsor dollars weren’t enough to get it made anymore, I would do it, and consider it fair. Now, with the “movies”, I have to pay about twenty for just a little over one episode. Thing is, I was going to do that anyway; even if the show had gone on for ten seasons, I would have bought the movies after! So you’re taking advantage of the fact that you knew we would buy the movies, and are short-changing us. You’re taking advantage of our love of our “friends”, and are going to essentially hold them hostage for an exorbitant amount of money!

We were asked to spread the word, to pimp the franchise on our sites and blogs, to get our friends to watch. We did that. We were asked to buy the DVDS and show MGM that we still want to see SG-1. We did that, because we do love SG-1 and now the movies are our only way to visit our friends again. We were asked to watch Atlantis live, rather than DVR it, and many of us did so; this season had enjoyed stronger live numbers than ever. We did it to save the show we loved — not to support a new pet project for Wright. You think we are being rewarded for our efforts?? It’s like taking our help under false pretenses! We fought to keep a home we loved, and now are being expected to live someplace many of us have no interest in, only being allowed to revisit the place we tried to save on the rare odd weekend.

Since we bought the movies, you figured we would be content with just movies for Atlantis too. It looks to me that you will discover you were wrong.

I understand that this is business, that making a movie instead of a full TV season for Atlantis is more cost-effective for you. But that’s only true if we watch Universe, isn’t it? If we don’t, you’ll have wasted a hell of a lot of money on a new series. Considering that, despite the extreme popularity of the novels it was based on, The Dresden Files flopped, you shouldn’t count your chickens, boyos. Sci Fi people, can you afford to have yet another new series fail? Why would you voluntarily give up another potential year of strong numbers like that? One of my prerequisites for my TV service was that it carry Sci Fi, so I could watch Stargate shows and Doctor Who. Now I can watch Who on BBC America (belatedly, but I’ll live), so if Sci Fi is taken from the basic package, as it has been in some areas, you won’t see me shelling out the extra bucks or complaining to the provider over it; I won’t fight to keep it. Not like I’m fighting to keep Atlantis now (which, I should point out, would have been the perfect lead-in for Universe, just as SG-1 was for Atlantis!)

Universe could have waited at least one more season, if you (MGM or Sci Fi) couldn’t afford to do both. There’s still plenty of life left in Atlantis, far more than can fit in an occasional hour-and-a-half movie. Doctor Who survived for what? Twenty-five years in its first run? And even came back for another go, so don’t even try that “it’s run it’s course, there are no more stories to tell” party-line garbage with me. Buffy’s seven years, Next Gen’s nine, and SG-1’s ten years are all proof enough for me that ending at five is premature.

It’s this simple: renew Atlantis for at least one more season, and I’ll give Universe a fair shot. Even if I still don’t like it, at least you will have me watching Atlantis on a weekly basis, so you can’t lose there. (The only way you could is if McKay or Sheppard left, because I watch for their relationship, so be warned there, too — if you bring it back, they both must be kept on the show at all costs.) But keep Atlantis as canceled, and I promise you that I won’t be tuning in to Universe. And I promise I won’t be the only ‘Gater who won’t, either.

Most Sincerely and Vehemently,
Stacy Hausl, AKA Wolfen Moondaughter

• Source: www.pinkraygun.com

Official Release from Sci-Fi:

New York, NY — August 21, 2008 — Building upon the successful Stargate franchise, SCI FI Channel today announced it has greenlit a two-hour movie based on the hit science fiction adventure series Stargate Atlantis. SCI FI will have the exclusive worldwide television premiere of the yet to be titled Stargate Atlantis film, which will then be released on DVD by MGM. The movie will be written by Stargate Atlantis’ executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, who also serve as series showrunners. The movie is set to follow the fifth and final season of Stargate Atlantis, as it draws to its thrilling conclusion in January 2009.

“We’re excited to tell Atlantis stories on a bigger canvas. The successes of the two original Stargate DTV movies The Ark of Truth and Continuum have shown us the opportunities that the movie format offers. We have plans for both SG-1 and Atlantis to remain vital as we expand the franchise,” said Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and who both currently serve as executive producers on Atlantis.

“We share in the producers’ enthusiasm to move forward in this direction and we look forward to a strong and continued relationship on Stargate Atlantis in this new format,” said Thomas Vitale, Senior Vice President Programming & Original Movies.

Stargate Atlantis follows the adventures of an intrepid team of military and civilian explorers who travel the distant Pegasus galaxy by means of a Stargate, a portal created long ago by a highly advanced alien civilization called the Ancients. In their never-ending quest to seek out other technologies left behind by the Ancients, the Atlantis team encounters alien cultures — some friend, some foe.

The series will reach a milestone with the 100th episode airing in January 2009. Atlantis is executive produced by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, and Martin Gero. Mallozzi and Mullie share the reins as showrunners.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching approximately 120 countries and territories around the world. MGM ownership is currently as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas Pacific Group (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgmchannel.com.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where “what if” is what’s on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.

The SCI FI Channel is ending Stargate Atlantis after five seasons, Multichannel News reports.

The show will go on, though, with a 2-hour movie that will air on SCI FI in 2009, and be released on DVD by MGM. The film will be written by executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie.

It’s intended to be the first of an on-going series of Atlantis movies, according to the report. Stargate SG-1 has released two very successful movies direct-to-DVD this year (Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum), though neither has aired on U.S. television yet.

“The show will live on as a network franchise,” the report also says. This could indicate that future Atlantis movies are a lock for SCI FI, or it may be a general statement about the cable network’s commitment to the Stargate franchise.

Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, who created and executive produced Atlantis, pitched a third television series in the 11-year-old TV franchise to the network last year (story). While SCI FI has not yet announced a green light for that show, the end of Atlantis may clear the way — the dollars available for original programming, that is — for the next series.

Though Stargate Atlantis has been a solid ratings performer for SCI FI — and was its highest-rated original program ever when it premiered in July 2004 — in recent years series like Eureka have supplanted it in the “Live” ratings.

Atlantis remains an extremely strong performer in DVR-delayed viewing, though, often building as much as 25 to 30 percent on its premiere night audience.

Season Five will go out on a cliffhanger, with “Enemy At the Gate” expected to premiere in January. Expect the first Atlantis movie to wrap up that hanging storyline.

• Source: www.gateworld.net