I'm aware that I'm outing myself as an old sci-fi head - but anyway, just to vent my anger: Sci-Fi channel cancelled Atlantis - despite the fact that both Nielsen ratings and DVD sales are very strong for that series.
They're apparently trying to make way for new series that they get more money from (SGA doesn't technically belong to Sci-Fi but to MGM)

peter

i hear you....felt the same way when "firefly" was cancelled and also the
soon to be cxl BSG (though none of them were shown here on land tv)
I watch them all on dvd....yes. scf i fi geek, here too

oh also loved enterprise

Yeah, that all sounds very familiar - I liked Firefly a lot and loved Enterprise. Enterprise did very well in Europe but not so well in the US - I guess Europe doesn't count :-)

As for BSG: really no idea why they've canceled that.

If one looks at the whole picture one has to say that once they killed BSG, no decent Sci-Fi format remains. Not sure about Amanda Tapping's new venture yet - the green-screen only thing will make it hard for this to become a success I believe.

I guess sci-fi formats always had a hard time staying on air for more than 5 seasons - (Enterprise cancelled after 4 seasons, Babylon 5 cancelled after 4, then picked up and cancelled again after 5 seasons, SGA cancelled after 5, BSG after 4 (if I remember correctly)?

peter

Part 2 of Series 4 BSG will air at the end of this year I think. Have to dig out the exact details. BUt it will end with S4

Shame about Firefly. They are bringing this to BD soon but I'd rather they continued the series.

"Serenity" did extremely well on DVD - I had hoped they'd pick up the series again after the movies success. Not so, apparently.

why is this? too big a budget? I heard that is why BSG is being cxl...it cost more to make some episodes than a movie...
i can see why, the special effects are pretty amazing. I have never really been into Stargate , but i see the effects there would cost less (my husband likes to make this joke, "oh hey, another episode in the "forest" )

ps. still miss firefox. i <3 joss whedon

yeah, that's probably it. I think Stargate SG1 only ran this long because it was recorded in Canada when the greenback was still worth more. Also, as you said - another episode in the forest :-) I never found that to be a problem but I also realize that BSG can't be filmed that way. The special effects are absolutely stunning - comparable to big-budget movies like star wars etc.

peter

SG last around 10 seasons?

BSG will finish on 4 seasons. Read an article saying that this was planned for a long time. As I said it returns later this year or early next.

Heroes will be back etc...

I guess in the end there is a limit to how long you can come up with new ideas based on the same set of characters etc..

I think this applies to non-scifi as well, i.e. Sex in the City etc... I guess the Simpsons must be one of the longest TV-Series?

How many movies end up with a sequel etc... not many reach beyond 3. Die Hard - 4, Matrix -3, StarWars 6, Alien 3+, Predator ....

Often sequels are never as good as the original.

One exception to this is: Bond. Mind you if you look at the original movies they seem very dated.

Battlestar Galactica to End After Fourth Season

http://community.tvguide.com/blog-en...-End/800016206

S4 part 2 - coming Early 2009:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index...ory=2&id=58067

I thought BSG wasn't so much cancelled, as ran to to it's end. I think the writers always planned for it to be a story with an ending. Personaly I'm all for that. Can't wait for the last series.

true, I remember reading something like that as well - and I also prefer that kind of planning. Would have worked great for Babylon 5 as well - was written for 5 seasons. Unfortunately, they decided to pull the plug after season 4 and the writers had to rip apart the whole storyline and find an ending to the show. After it had technically ended, they renewed it for a 5th season :-)

peter

yeah, SG1 lasted for a full 10 seasons. They could have gone on I guess but sometimes it's better to stop while you're still good.

there's a long interview with Brad Wright (co-creator of SGA) at gateworld.net: http://www.gateworld.net/interviews/...ings_....shtml

Essentially, they pulled the plug for two reasons:

1. they apparently came to the conclusion that continuing the format in movie-length episodes sold on DVD would mean much more cash for Sci-Fi channel

2. they're working on a new Stargate series called "Stargate Universe" (working title) which they can film with cheaper actors.

While I'm all for killing series that suck and don't do well rating-wise, I really think it's very stupid and short-sighted to kill a format that's doing very well both on the DVD and the TV side. It's the typical short-sighted decision that will will wash some money into the pockets of the current management. In a couple of years they'll all be gone anyway, so why not optimize the cash-flow for the short period of time those people will be with the company :-)

In the end, Stargate SG1's very strong DVD sales meant the end for Stargate Atlantis...

peter


edit: http://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/0...rgate_un.shtml

never heard of the new series, sg universe...cheaper actors- huh? i don't get it.
of course i am not naive and money is always the motive behind alot of these cancellations etc but sometimes you wonder how come crap series can stay on air?
anyway, another series i remember watching was "dark angel" - that was also cxl due to lack of interest? I am a huge james cameron fan...i wish there were more alien sequels by him (or terminator)
anyone seen the Sarah Connor Chronicles?
(i also liked the new bionic woman and that was cxl also...not sure why. I thought michelle ryan was pretty good)

__________________

be the glitch you want to see in the matrix

Cheaper actors: as series move along, the actors get raises and ask for more cash. So the staff costs rise dramatically over time. Starting a new series (especially one like SG Universe that will be shot on the same or slightly modified sets as SG1 + SGA) allows the producers to hire new and unknown actors that will work for very little money.

Sarah Connor Chronicles will be shown on Premiere 4 this fall, I think

peter

just 'cos i like BSG!

I guess you'll just have to rent the past years on DVD and watch them!

You might try, as an alternative, Dr. Who (some intelligent moral dilemmas get posed, which is an alternative to the 'send in the Marines' approach to encountering the universe Stargate seems to prefer), and its rather remarkable recent spin-off, Torchwood. If you're feeling cheap, you can even watch Torchwood episodes in (bootleg, as far as I can tell) YouTube segments - or be honorable and buy the DVD of the series (#1 is out, not sure about 2).

J.

Ah crap another good show bites the dust.

Smallville is ending next season too. Just hope they end that one real good with him finally becoming superman.

BSG well I heard they were only going to make 4 seasons and tell an end to end story, which I think is cool. Nice to have an ending for a change.

Dr Who next year cut to four specials . I just hope Torchwood gets even better.

Still I'm sure this will leave a nice big gap for something new to come along and fill the SCI-Fi void. I think they have done the remake thing for now.