Perhaps a bit premature because the first half of season one of Stargate Universe doesn’t actually finish until next Friday, December 4. But since there is no new SGU this week and since I saw some mutterings in the Twitter-verse that there was no comprehensive “ratings” info available, here’s a table with the household rating/share, 18-49 rating/share and average audience through last Friday’s episode, “Life.”
I’ll update it with the results for “Justice” somewhere around December 7.
| Episode | Date | HH Rating/Share | 18-49 Rating/Share | Avg Audience (Millions) |
| Air Pt 1 + 2 (2 hours) | 2-Oct-09 | 1.5/3 | 0.9/3 | 2.346 |
| Air Pt 3 | 9-Oct-09 | 1.5/3 | 1.0/3 | 2.447 |
| Darkness | 16-Oct-09 | 1.3/2 | 0.9/3 | 2.099 |
| Light | 23-Oct-09 | 1.3/2 | 0.8/3 | 2.015 |
| Water | 30-Oct-09 | 1.3/2 | 0.8/2 | 1.974 |
| Earth | 6-Nov-09 | 1.1/2 | 0.7/2 | 1.626 |
| Time | 13-Nov-09 | 1.1/2 | 0.7/2 | 1.802 |
| Life | 20-Nov-09 | 1.2/2 | 0.8/3 | 1.891 |
| Justice | 4-Dec-09 |
–
As you can see, the show had its ratings and average viewers peak in the series second week on October 9, 2009. Though average viewers have recovered the last two weeks from the lows on November 6, the overall trend for household rating, 18-49 rating and average audience is still down. The latest episode, “Life”, retained about 80% of the premieres household rating and viewers, and almost 90% of the 18-49 rating, and around 80% in all three categories versus the series highs October 9.
Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved. All ratings above Live+SD (live viewing plus same day DVR viewing).
What does this mean for the show? Is it doing o.k.?
Renew / cancel / not sure / …?
Judging by what these people are saying, those ratings will continue to fall:
http://www.cinemaspy.com/article.php?id=3600
It would be nice to have demo information to compare Eureka (which aired on Fridays earlier in the year) and SGU but I don’t think we ever got weekly numbers on Eureka and the End of Season Press Release’s averages are half based on when it was on Tuesday.
But we know Eureka was getting around 1/2 a million more total viewers (those numbers we did get) in it’s last airings.
I still don’t think SGU will get cancelled. You just don’t order a full season in advance unless you’re committed to the franchise. But some changes will probably have to be made (look for Ming Na and any other expensive actor whose name is not Robert Carlyle to get accidentally blown out a hatch in the Season 2 opener)
I hope they get the message. It’s not very surprising that this happened. I don’t want to list everything that’s really bad, the list would be just too long. Stargate is no more fun to watch. Time for a change of the change.
thx folks
How do they compare to Atlantis?
Last time I chimed in, I was told that the network would be ‘ok’ with those numbers. So without something like renew/cancel, I couldn’t begin to guess. I quit watching anything on SYFY at the end of October (everyone familiar with SYFY knows why). I don’t know if the show has improved. Judging from the previous comments it hasn’t.
@ Franklin D:
The comments on that site have been negative since the first episode, and the ratings have not followed that. Don’t take what you read on the internet and try to apply it to the 2 million viewers out there, it doesn’t work.
@ Melbye:
SGA’s last season averaged around 1.7 million viewers, but the number of 18-34’s was considerably lower. SGU has only pulled 1 episode lower than that so far. SGA’s first season started off stronger (a 3.2 hh rating) but it dropped 47% by their ninth episode, where as SGU has only dropped 19% (surprisingly the same amount that BSG had dropped by this point, something I found quite interesting considering all the comparisons people like to make in a derogatory sense… There’s one that’s not so derogatory
).
@ alien0
What message? The message that most of the audience are sticking with the show compared to SGA when it started? The message that V, despite only having aired 4 episodes, is down 36% on their premiere while SGU is down 19% after 9 episodes? Don’t worry, I’m sure they got that message
@Les
Thanks for the info. Proves what I suspected. The network is happy with those numbers. So don’t expect any changes, improvements or caving in to some fans. It is just a TV show. There are other channels and shows to watch. I am sure the franchise will survive with the more die hard fans.
I follow the comparison to SGA. Don’t get the reasoning behind the comparison to “V” though. “V” is not even in the same league as SGU. It is network not cable and it is not part of a long running franchise like SG.
It’s pretty good numbers, the same numbers than SGA, SG1 and the last seasons of BSG. Maybe not as strong as the network would have expected, but still good enough to stick around for a while. If it keeps those number I guess we’ll see 4-5 seasons, unless they decide to start a new Stargate..
The primary reasons for the V comparison were…
1. It’s another major scifi show on right now
2. The whole Brad Wright v. Maureen Ryan thing has kind of kicked it up into a rivalry.
Although for me, it’s more to show that the drop in SGU viewers isn’t as bad as many people try to make out. V’s drop is normal (in my eyes), SGU’s drop is better than normal.
If the show was cheap to make then perhaps they could live with these weak numbers. As it is I believe there will be some major changes at the starts of season two. If there even is a season two.
So can we get some professional analysis of the ratings from you Robert? Please
I think it will be renewed, but with budget cuts…
I agree with @Verus. I think S2 is gonna show some changes because I think the ’studio and network’ have probably already stepped in with their ’suggestions’. Look for them finding some kick a** alien in leather, rechargeable weapons and fighters and watch the ’space battles’ begin. lol
Well those alien kick ass and space battles are already scheduled if you look at the synopsis of the second part of the seasons. Stargate SG1 survived for longer than that with weaker numbers (1.5 million per episode for the first 5 seasons on showtime) And the last seasons were around 1.8 million per episode. So it’s an average for Stargate.
This boring, daytime soap opera crap is NOT Stargate. This show sux. …stopped watching after the first episode.
@Samuel, I know, I just can’t help thinking they wanted ‘more’ than more of the same.
I say bring back Atlantis! It was so much better than Universe is. I have been a massive Stargate fan from the very beginning but this is just not what i want to watch. Universe bores me. At least the other 2 were entertaining to watch.
I have always enjoyed the Stargate series but not so much SGU. It is obvious that the producers and writers wanted to go in a different direction with SGU. It is unfortunate that this has caused such a division in a long standing fanbase. I really have to agree that SGU would have been better served without the association with Stargate – they could have their new concept show and maintained an intact fanbase for the franchise. Now I think they have alienated too many people.
@Samuel- SG-1’s first five seasons on Showtime isn’t really a good comparison. It’s a pay channel, not one that relies on advertising. Though I’ve heard one of the reasons they let it go was that while it did OK, it wasn’t enough of a draw to get people to subscribe. Many viewers were in the “Why subscribe when you can wait a year and see it in syndication for free?” camp. I know I was, and had to catch up with early seasons because I didn’t realize it was on broadcast TV until the second season was airing.
The ratings aren’t all that much better than SGA, but I have to wonder if it would have been cheaper to give the cast of that show raises that would have been required to continue into a sixth season (they were at the end of their contracts, so they could negotiate for more money), versus dumping a ton of money into a new show announced a day after SGA’s cancellation. It’s often cheaper to continue as is than reinvent the wheel.
Or maybe it’s time for this franchise to just stop for a while. There’s a desperate need for some new blood behind-the-scenes.
I just can’t bring myself to start chanting “Hallowed are the Producers”, because they ain’t.
SGU is off my viewing list. I find nothing engaging about it, whatsoever, unlike SG1 and SGA.
I greatly miss their stories and humor.
So I got a couple of questsions for you all .. hopefully I can start watching SGU again :
1. Is that crying girl dead yet?? She’s so annoying, I figure they kept her around to kill her in a cool way…
2. That army dude that can’t keep it in his pants, is he dead yet?? He’s not a good character for family viewing.
3. How about that angry dude? .. get shot yet? He’s just funny. I kinda like him.
4. That lou diamond dude, how come he isn’t in the ship?
5. That nutty coffee addict of a scientist .. has someone slap him around yet? The dude has the same vibe as that looser in BSG that hallucinates about the blonde chick.
6. That fat nerd dude .. did he gain courage and started blasting aliens with a machine gun yet?
7. Any aliens yet?
8. Cool gadgets beyond that floating diary ball thing?
9. How about that interpersonal teenie drama stuff .. has the show grown up yet?
10. McKay could easily get control of the ship … has he used the stones to fix things so that the team can explore the galaxy yet?
Please someone answer my questions, I really don’t want to spend an hour watching SGU if it just won’t deliver.
@Guy
Being that SGA was not cancelled due to ratings and was a creative decision by the producers to replace it with SGu, it would be very hard to bring back SGA. As much as I miss that show, I know it will likely never return in a TV series format.
I don’t want to see SGU get cancelled, and I am enjoying the show, but it really needs to step up the pace and get some more action eps going or it will lose even more viewers.
I feel the 20% drop so far is your normal drop nothing to be concerned with. But loyal viewers could be hanging in there more and well how long can they last if things are really that grim?
I think the negativity which is all over the net could eventually catch up to the ratings if they do not step it up to some more action and whatnot.
I agree with those that say that they should not have called it a Stargate show. If the producers/writers wanted to do something different, just label it as “brought to you by the makers of SG1 and SGA” or something like that.
As it is I see so many bad feelings expressed by those fans who really loved the previous incarnations of Stargate who feel betrayed and left out with this new show.
My own personal opinion is that I dislike the direction SGU has taken, I liked the characters and situations much better on SGA and most of SG1.
I liked Stargate and Atlantis. I don’t feel betrayed by this show. Agreed that it should ditch the ‘Stargate’ part and stand on its own as a show from the creators of ‘Stargate’.
However, like the Millenium Falcon, it’s a piece of junk.
I DVR’d the first few episodes(unless it’s a holiday, Friday is NOT a tv night) and it was just too boring, which I think is the worst thing you can say about a show. The production values are very good and I can appreciate what they’re trying to do, but dear lord does everything happen at a sluggish pace. On top of that, Ming Na and Lou Diamond Phillips were barely noticeable despite the fact that there are only three good actors on the show and they’re two of ‘em–the awesome Robert Carlisle being the other. Actually they had the solid Christopher McDonald in the pilot and promptly killed him off.
I can’t imagine the show continuing the way it is now and actually picking up new fans. Maybe with the outrageous success of Warehouse 13 and the continued popularity of Eureka, Syfy can afford to stick with a legacy show with a fairly small but very loyal following. Although, maybe Syfy simply wants to have something on the air that’s a darker, more cerebral alternative to those shows’ style of flashy, high-energy fun.
Gah! I wish we could edit these posts…can’t believe I spelled Carlyle’s name wrong.
I don’t understand ALL these complaints about SGU… yeah – sometimes, such as ‘Earth’ & ‘Life’ there is too much focus on character drama & it becomes a soap opera. Other episodes, such as ‘TIme’, make for absolutely fantastic Stargate episodes. So far i’ve felt the series has been rather consistent in quality, although i do hope there are less episodes like ‘Life’ on the whole.
From a ratings stand point: these aren’t fantastic numbers but they’re solid numbers. It’s a clear improvement on SGA which will make SyFy happy.
@ Cimmer, I agree, the network probably hopped for better ratings than what they usually get. But it seem it won’t happen with SG. They still have enough to run on it for a while though.
And let’s not forget that Atlantis and SG1 are far from gone, with the direct to dvd movies release. There is one scheduled in 2010 for both shows and they expect to keep producing those for a while. And with a budget of 8 million compare to 1.5-2 million for an episode, it’s quite cool to see big explosions and ships while O’Neil is kicking some asses.
@Samuel
SG1 and SGA movies are on indefinite hold until the economy improves. I’m betting SGA never gets made because too much time will have passed.
I like the show. Yes, it isn’t anything like the other Stargate shows but I don’t mind that at all. Yeah some episodes have been worse then others but the same could be said for most shows.
I just barely liked SGA anyways and the last few season of SG1 were not that great.
I can’t understand people talking about ‘weak’ numbers etc. This isn’t Fox or ABC and these are great numbers for Syfy. They’ve also hung on to nearly all of the audience from the premiere, so why someone said it sends a ‘message’ is beyond me. The show is excellent, the only thing worth watching on Syfy for many years.
Hey,
One thing that is missing from these numbers are the DVR ratings (from Day 2-7). From what I have read online is those DVR ratings are increasing and they are averaging 2.8-3million viewers (Live + 7 Day DVR) each ep. So SGU has pretty much retained all there viewer from premiere which is pretty amazing. Anyways the show is still great and Stargate just a different type of Stargate (You have to stop comparing it to SG1 and SGA because this show is NOT a spin-off).
–James
Actually the show’s lost about half a million viewers since “Air”, which isn’t a lot for a show with 10 million viewers but one with 2 million? Again, it all depends on what exactly Syfy hopes to get out of this show.
From the last posting of the 7 day DVR numbers viewers are still around 3 million (think this was for time) which is pretty much what it premiered at.
Cancel it already…..this show gets more boring EVERY week.
@Anyone who says these are solid or good enough numbers…
You’re just wrong. I’m not a Stargate fan (never even seen an episode of Atlantis). I just find it interesting from a numbers perspective (and from a “What direction will SciFi/SyFy go” perspective).
I looked up the Stargate Atlantis numbers. I couldn’t find the numbers for the 2nd to last episode but other than that the last 5 episodes of Stargate Atlantis and HH ratings of 1.3, 1.2, 1.2, 1.2, and 1.5 for the finale (source: http://www.gateworld.net/news/ratings.shtml)
Now a quote from Produce Brad Wright regarding Stargate Universe…
“The pitch was received very well,” Wright said. “[But] we pitched an expensive series — the idea we have is not cheap. I think we’ve proven ourselves, so … ‘Can we please have enough money to do it right this time?’ And, if not, then honestly I don’t want to do it. Why do it wrong?”
So in the end if SGU is on par with SGA than it has failed because it’s dramatically more expensive. Beyond that there’s Sanctuary which averaged 2.35M viewers in its first season and in its last airing pulled only 1.6M (those numbers are fudgable due to the season 1 numbers including a successful first episode). So there’s an argument that Universe is a weaker lead in than Atlantis was.
Finally (as I pointed out in this tread earlier) its not performing as well as Eureka did in the same time slot. So there’s a lot wrong here.
I love Stargate Universe. I loved Stargate SG-1 in its earlier years but I didn’t like Stargate Atlantis at all and it got worse in its last years.
The main problems I have in Stargate Universe is that I can’t stand Lou Diamond Phillips or the character that he plays. He’s probably expensive and in my opinion they could have used a much better actor that would have cost a lot less.
Also, while I love Ming Na as an actress, I don’t care much for her character on the show and in my opinion it could be played by a much cheaper actress.
Getting rid of both Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming Na would cut their costs considerably. Personally I don’t believe either actor is making a significant contribution to the show to justify their expense.
I’d like to see more backstory on Robert Carlyle’s character, Dr. Rush.
Having the characters exchange bodies in practically every episode is extremely distracting and I don’t like it at all. They completely ignore the ethical and psychological impact of it. I’m assuming that it’s the way so that they can have cheaper scenes and not use the sets of the ship Destiny. Personally I’d rather they just drop that entirely and have them use some type of video communication. They could always do some flashback scenes.
Tom I’m not sure the SciFi Wire/Gateworld ratings info aren’t coverage ratings (where the rating is calculated as a percentage of only the homes where Syfy is available rather than all TV homes).
My numbers were pure household ratings computed against all 114.9 million TV homes. Coverage ratings are often used in press releases but if those numbers (for SGA) are coverage ratings they would be artificially inflated (at least compared to the numbers I posted for SGU).
As for Eureka, while true, I’m not sure how meaningful it is to make comparisons with recent performances in the summer against lesser broadcast competition.
My take is that SGU is doing “kinda eh” ratings-wise, but one of the reasons I have tried to stay away from any analysis of its prospects is that it’s hard to make good apples-to-apples comparisons.
Joe Flanigan was out here for a convention and his take on SG-1/SGA was they needed new writers and fresh ideas rather than a new show. I tend to agree as both shows were very repetitive. SGU seems much different to those 2 shows but no better.
It will be interesting to see how long it survives.
I don’t mind dramas or even “dark and edgy” as they advertised. But I just cannot find myself liking any of the characters besides Rush and Eli. Also poor Carlyle for having to put up with such mediocre writing.
It feels like I’m watching Defying Gravity all over again, where I just tune in because I can stomach just about anything in the genre, even its just the backdrop like there and here in SGU.
In its defense, “Time” was probably better than anything on Defying Gravity.
Robert, Bill, isn’t a show retaining 80% of it’s premiere audience very good? I mean, at that rate V would still have 18-49 ratings about 4, for example. That’s usually a sign of a show being successful, isn’t it?
Now, I know we’re dealing with a pretty small audience here, but this is a show on Fridays. You’d think if the show was tanking the drop would be a lot more.
I guess it’s what SyFy views as successful for this show. If they’re satisfied with 0.8/0.9, the show’s going to stick around for a while.
Sadly, I can’t know what Syfy’s expectations were and they won’t tell me anything I can really use.
All other things being equal, I don’t think retaining 80% of the premiere is bad at all. But if it premiered to 1 million viewers and a .6 adults 18-49 rating and was now doing 800K and a .5, nobody would be arguing that the 80% made a difference.
It will be interesting to see how the second half of S1 does when it ultimately airs.
I’m wondering if Syfy’s view of this series might be affected by how well Caprica does. I mean, SGU has been compared more to Battlestar Galactica than the other Stargates. Since Caprica is a BG prequel…
You can compare Warehouse 13 and Eureka since they have similar styles. If Syfy needs/wants a point of reference for SGU’s ratings, they could look to Caprica. Maybe SGU’s death knell will be Caprica doing Eureka/Warehouse-type numbers?
Rock, you can compare Eureka and W13 stylistically, but not ratings-istically since they aired on different days. W13 had the much better ratings though (at least in terms of viewers).
SGU was on par (at least L+SD wise) with the last season of BSG. If Caprica does W13 numbers on a Friday, that will be a.) surprising and b.) great news for Caprica, though not necessarily bad news for SGU
Again, I find the comparisons between Eurkea in the summer to SGU (or anything else) against new competition from broadcast nets during the regular season tough to make. The 1.7 HH rating listed for Eureka’s season finale in the Syfy press release was definitely a “coverage rating” and can’t be compared well with the Household ratings I used above.
Eureka’s finale averaged 2.3 million viewers on 9/18 before anything new was on ABC, NBC, CBS, (and OK, FOX) at 9pm Fridays.
Hey Robert,
First, hope you had a great holiday.
I have SGA’s last season half with a 1.3(Coverage) HH rating and 1.7 Million viewers for live+SD and an impressive 1.7 HH rating and 2.2 Million viewers for Live + 7. Obviously SGU has been doing better in the age demos deparment. I am also curious how SGU will do in it’s 2nd half after the long hiatus. They had the 3 part premiere to fuel their average for the first half, there is no series premiere in the 2nd half obviously.
Do you think these numbers are going to come down to what SGA was getting? Their last 4 eps averaged 1.8 Million viewers, SGA was pulling in 1.7 Million for live+SD. Pretty damn close. I keep telling myself Ratings did not get SGA cancelled and it was never really said why SGA was cancelled. Common sense, Brad Wright wanted to move onto a new series.
I think it’s a more fair comparison to compare SGA’s last 10 eps with SGU’s first 10 eps.
Marc, thanks, I hope you had a nice holiday too!
I don’t know if it’s a more “fair” comparison to compare the end of SGA with the beginning of SGU, but I think it’s the only decent comparison that can really be made at this time.
Every time I have made those comparisons the objection is that it’s not fair comparing a show in its 5th season to a show in its first season.
With Syfy, I just assume every show (outside of stars like Ghost Hunters W13, and other shows already renewed) is on the bubble until Syfy says it isn’t.
I think Stargate does better in multiple markets that MGM can afford to sell the rights cheap to SyFy. But W13 was a monster in the ratings, and it was a good fun show. Maybe dark and grittier is not everyone’s cup of tea. I am personally enjoying SGU, but I truly miss SGA. Just when they were touching the characters a lot the show gets cancelled.
As per the fair comparison, it is tough, because I see folks comparing Season 1 of SGA to Season 1 of SGU and well that was 5 years ago, where DVR was not a major issue. I see comparing Season 5 of SGA to SGU’s first season unfair because the promotion of an exsisting series and a brand new series is totally different. It is like SGU is supposed to do better than SGA.
So, I understand where you are coming from, it is hard to compare. Sadly SyFy will use SGA as a comparison to SGU, since it is the most obvious choice. I mean, Stargate vs Stargate is their best comparison. You can tell not that much promotion went into SGA’s final season, yet the show still attracted over 2.1 Million viewers according to the press release for their final whole season average.
Sometimes it is just very confusing what is considered good or bad. Anyway you guys here have been on the money about a lot of shows, and I know cable is a little harder to make a prediction. But I respect your opinions. I do hope Fringe has a miracle, lol.
i agree with most of the comments i liked maybe half of season 1 so far of SGU. could deal without a few characters, LDP Ming-Na. I do see the darker BSG tone that they were trying to give it. but it needs more humor, none of omg that dude sleeping with her. maybe someone will die in pt 1 of the 2 parter.
also dont like the episode titles much
Have to expect the next episode to be down after the crap that was the last episode. People were finally hopeful after Time and they show the Life episode.
Stargate’s ratings went down AFTER Fox pulled Dollhouse and lessened the competition!
The last episode was called “Life”, and the one before that was called “Time”. Presumably, they’re going to go through every magazine title you can think of. I can’t wait for “People” or “Fortune”. (Let alone “Hustler” or “Playboy”.)
I was a big fan of the two previous Stargate series, and saw every episode of both of them. The first series in particular was enlivened by a lot of tongue-in-cheek self-referential comic touches. In the end though, for both series, the writing soon began to get tired. In SGU that’s happening alarmingly fast. The show seriously needs to dump the “stones” device. The pointless and tedious desire to showcase soap-opera-like dramas back on earth keeps driving me from the room to check out what’s interesting in my fridge or on my laptop. (I can’t imagine I’m the only one!) (I find them mawkish, melodramatic, sentimental, shamelessly emotionally manipulative, etc.) If they can go through an entire episode (“Life”) without developing the central premise (being on an alien ship far from home), then please let the Stargate franchise die an honorable death and end it right now.
Honestly, there are some fine science fiction writers out there right now. Can’t they find some new talent and let their obviously bored writing staff take a break?
Desperately hoping for some improvements.
@Les Ferris
I find it interesting how you are manipulating these numbers to make it sound like Atlantis was doing worse ratings-wise in its first season than SGU is now.
The truth is that 53% of 4.2 million is STILL more than the 1.891 million of SGU’s last episode. So Atlantis was doing BETTER in its ratings for its ninth episode than SGU did for its ninth episode according to your numbers.
I don’t have a problem with people liking SGU, but I DO have a problem with people manipulating numbers to make a point that is not entirely accurate.
I can confirm that the ratings published by Gateworld originally came from the Scifi.com. They used to publish a Scifi top ten list every week and they were coverage area ratings. It’s a network habit to publish based on coverage arean and not national.
I believe Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis averaged a 1.0 Total U.S. Household rating (Live + sd) and a 0.6 A18-49 rating (live + sd). Total viewers averaged about 1.6 million.
1. I wonder what it cost to make Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis?
2. I also wonder how much money was spent on publicity?
I think these are good questions to have answered if we are going to keep comparing these numbers and averages.
And when I ask how much money was spent on publicity, I mean for both shows.
Since we’re comparing…
@ les ferrit
SGA’s last season averaged around 1.7 million viewers, but the number of 18-34’s was considerably lower. SGU has only pulled 1 episode lower than that so far. SGA’s first season started off stronger (a 3.2 hh rating) but it dropped 47% by their ninth episode, where as SGU has only dropped 19% (surprisingly the same amount that BSG had dropped by this point, something I found quite interesting considering all the comparisons people like to make in a derogatory sense… There’s one that’s not so derogatory ).
I believe you’re wrong about some of your numbers. Where did you get 47% drop for SGA? Life obtained exactly 1.891 when SGU ep premiere got 2.35 Means a lost of viewers 20% for 8 or 9 eps. SGA for the 10 first eps lost 28% if we consider for reminding SGA got an average of 3.0 for the 10 first eps when SGA premiere got 4.2 and we could compare with SGU 8 or 9 first eps . For reminding you found 47%. I don’t know how. So you’re right SGA seems to have lost more but once again SGA started higher so they risked more. In addition, Don’t forget SGU took profit a bigger promotional campaign than SGA got.
You seem to be a huge SGU fan and like @Morena said I’ve got some problems with people who spin the numbers for demonstrate SGU does better.
In addition, as some said it will be fair to compare SGU season 1 with SGA first season not with the last season and actually with the 10 first eps. I know syfy tried to compare SGU premiere with the SGA 4 last seasons forgetting the true SGA premiere 4.2.
@porto
When you keep same producers and writers you got same stories so SGA needed new writers for fresh ideas rather than new show. Above all when the new show is finally not the success expected by BW MGM or Syfy and stargate producers forgot what made the success of the franchise.
All the negativity surrounding SGU is well deserved. Both Brad and Robert are attempting to create that which is foreign and unnatural to them. Under the false impression that SciFi prior to BSG could not portray the human condition due to the “English speaking rubber-faced aliens”, the excessive tech-no babble, and humor.
SGU stinks. I’ve watched science fiction most of my life and read a bunch more as a teen. SGU has way too many porn and sex scenes.
Traditional Sci-fi has no swearing, no sex, and tons of cool technology, space battles and things like that. Things that even your kids can sit down and watch without you being ashamed. This isn’t traditional sci-fi; it is garbage, period.
If the producers thought they could migrate traditional Sci-fi fans to watch a soap opera in space, they were wrong, and SGU is going to crash and burn; and the sooner the better IMO.
…I’ve been hanging in there, but when I read the latest SGU episode synopsis, which basically said the crew use the stone to talk to relatives back home- I actually shuddered at the implied whine-factor and couldn’t bring myself to watch it!
Why am I not going to watch anymore? I agree with Morena on the upcoming Justice Episode:
“I’m glad I’m not watching Universe anymore if they’re going to bring back the “Survivor” theme that was very unwanted by many on the Atlantis show. So the producer tribe has spoken, and now someone has been voted off of the show. A tribal council will decide if Young will lose his leadership position, or be found guilty of a crime (my guess is no on both counts).
Who will have immunity? Who will backstab whom? Who will win the challenge of the week to possibly get more food rations? What new alliances will form? This may work well for reality TV, but I never liked it in the Stargate world. No thanks.”
Where do you begin with a show like SGU…with the writing I guess. Lousy scripts, lousy dialog, lesbian love scenes, Col Young having sex with his ex while in the body of Lou Diamond Phillps (can you say threesome, or slutty ex wife), Rush as a secretive know-it-all with an agenda all his own (keeping everyone on Destiny). The only thing SGU has going for it is the premise, allowing for weekly adventure on unknown planets. My humble opinion is the creators wanted to imitate BSG’s edgy, gritty look and feel i.e. soap opera story line (sex, intrigue, and power struggles), but failed miserably.
I will continue to screen it for a few more episodes hoping once the characters get a bit more developed the writers will concentrate on the real mission, to entertain an audience. Good luck getting a season 2.
@David
All the negativity surrounding SGU is well deserved. Both Brad and Robert are attempting to create that which is foreign and unnatural to them. Under the false impression that SciFi prior to BSG could not portray the human condition due to the “English speaking rubber-faced aliens”, the excessive tech-no babble, and humor.
I agree. BW and RC received back what they deserve ranting a lot against their old fans and previous series. I understand series must evolve but they changed everything forgetting that made the success of the franchise, humor, actions, likeable cast, aliens. team ep, action ep, ep centered on one character, emotion ep. I feel nothing for this new cast or characters. They can suffer I don’t care. They forgot all this. They deny all this hurting some of us. Worse they claim they didn’t like sci-fi aspect and their new cast is better than their previous ones.
Worse they refused to listen their cast to bring some fix on the show and finally it would seem they didn’t know well their audience.
Wanting to produce a mixed BSG/Stargate series they forgot their own roots and they weak the franchise.
When I think they declared it’s the work that they are so proud of and their best experience they have ever made.
From one Armeaggedon NZ 09report.
JF told about how some of the writers didn’t feel the need for women and love interests (which was painfully obvious) and that some of the women executives wanted some stronger women roles, which Joe agreed on. Apparently Brad Wright, and the rest of his men, said the show was fine as it is. Joe also mentioned that he tried to tell them that they were recycling stories, (which they kind of ARE) but they ignored him and told him it was different. “Yeah, it’s different, This time it’s Bob, not Steve.” Hahaha. And he explained that he’d always told the writers that he thought that it would be a good idea to add a darker element to Stargate, while keeping the humour. The writers shot it down… and now, look at Universe! The writers sound horrible.
So they would have changed writers (and maybe producers) rather than series.
@Joe Sheppard
I saw that Armageddon video of Joe Flanigan too. I think you’re right, Atlantis just needed some new writers in the writers’ room to help them come up with some new ideas and better scripts.
Thinking of what you said about women and romantic interests and Joe Flanigan reminds me of a few weeks ago where people on J Mallozzi’s blog were talking about maybe killing off Kanaan and putting Teyla with Sheppard. The more I think about it, the more I think that could really work IF they did it right. I mean, Sheppard was having romantic dreams about her during the season 5 opener.
Alas, we won’t get Atlantis back as a series, but they need to make the movie. The problem is I no longer trust the current set of writers to write a good Atlanis movie. I almost would rather that they didn’t make an Atlantis movie if they end up making a bad one. That would just be another slap in the face to Atlantis fans.
I want to believe in these people again, I do. I just don’t know if I can. Maybe they will listen to all of the criticism and do better. I’m really wishing for it. The Atlantis cast and crew and fans deserve it.
I must add this to my last post:
SGA was on air alongside with SG1 and there was not any problems between the 2 series. All contrary this was hepfull. They introduced SGA with SG1.
For SGU, the production made clear the room to put on air SGU with not real good reasons except one creative reason and we saw the result.
And for this they botched and rushed SGA end when there are so many plots begun and not finished or well finished.
Rates are so similar with SGA last season and lower SGA first season.
All this for that.
@morena
I agree. When I think producers explained us they canceled Atlantis for creative reasons and when I watch the result with SGU I annoyed and it’s a weak word I wonder what does it mean in their mouths creativity reason where there are no creativity in it only space opera copying BSG hopping to catch BSG viewers and sex scenes in more or less in each ep and in each ep none story in it none plots and they even fail in development character and this annoying stones ideas.
The truth is producers BW and RC listened their own desire not viewers’.
They killed off a great show that had some great possibilities for one or 2 more seasons and for wrong reasons and probably,IMO, the franchise too.
You’re right in spite of Atlantis sets are still up waiting for too long will kill the movie too.
All contrary I don’t believe in them again. I believe MGM should change producers and with them the writers to bring the desire to fight for the show and new fresh ideas but keeping the main core cast cos they are the SGA identity. Sadly coz they gave us 2 great SG series in spite of BW was not anymore in SGA series giving the reins to JM and PM.
If folks want to make the most fair comparison, Take the last season half SGA aired, and the last season half SGU aired. Both halves ran at the same time in the Fall season.
You got yourself 1.3 Vs 1.5 HH coverage rating and 1.7 Million viewers vs 2.0 Million viewers.
Granted the age demos have been better for SGU.
If folks think this is a huge difference, you need to attend some Ratings 101 classes, lol. J/K! :p
But this was supposed to happen. SGU beating SGA. Plus, they put all this money in the promotion of this new series and you would expect numbers like Ghost Hunters and Warehouse13, or even Eureka which has been continueing to do well. Maybe the Stargate franchise needed a break before retooling it.
I am enjoying SGU very much, but maybe they should of renewed SGA for a couple of more seasons and then in 2011 or 2012 start SGU. They could of with SGA add some more edgier themes like they did in Season 4. Heck, Season 4 had a very strong 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 age demo So go figure.
@marc.
I disagree we must compare the ten SGA first eps ( average 3.0 with premiere 4.2) and ten first SGU (average 2.02 with premiere 2.35) The numbers speak itselves.
The period of airing is not so important. IMO it’s more difficult to keep audience in summer coz holiday and sunny days.
But I agree SGA would have had to renew for 1 or 2 seasons ending well and introducing or preparing better SGU.
@Marc
they should of renewed SGA for a couple of more seasons and then in 2011 or 2012 start SGU. They could of with SGA add some more edgier themes like they did in Season 4. Heck, Season 4 had a very strong 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 age demo So go figure.
As the cast asked but producers didn’t pay attention to this.
@Joe Sheppard
Joe Flanigan, is that you? :p
@JoeSheppard, I still vote for a 4 hour miniseries where you get an intro to the SGU, and then move on to a series (when the kinks are worked out and you have a viable story).
Yeah, a writer does write for him or herself. But the writer was once the audience. There may be a good show in SGU, but it’s just a matter of refining it, narrowing it, and probably hiring a new creative team.
The only compelling part of the show is waiting til ends and then starting the snark.
SG fans are used to watching in the summer and spring.
They should have launched the show in the summer or spring when the new season hubub has died down and Sci-fi fans will watch longer because there is not much else on that week.
I tend to give new shows more of a chance when there is little else on any channel except reality shows.
@marc
Not all. Why do you think this? :p
LOL
I even don’t know him. I watched some interviews and read some news and declarations from cons I’m interested in the numbers too.
So I’m not him. Sorry.
He is a man who speaks his mind so he doesn’t need help to tell what he thinks.
I’m only a SG fan for a long time. Fan who is disappointed by the direction taken by the new show. IMO, It’s not anymore a stargate show despite the name in. It’s only a trickery to appeal SG fans. It’s why, IMO, there are so many negative comments around “old SG fan”. They thought watching another SG series. it’s not. And thinking they ended SGA without right or good end for this it’s difficult to accept. There are none elements that made SG1/SGA successful in it.
I agree with you they would have had to keep SGA for 1 or 2 more seasons to developp SGU for 2011/2012 and introduce it better.
My disappoinement is as important as my love for the previous shows.
Is this the thread where people make up excuses for the poor ratings of SGU? The spin is nauseating. Face it guys, the ratings started low and are creeping downward. Not as many viewers were interested in giving the show a chance.
I don’t know why there’s angst over whether the show will be renewed. It had a two season deal and it’s not like syfy has anything else to show. It will get two seasons and dropped after that. The franchise won’t recover – it’s done. Blame the writers and producers for doing such a poor job.
All of your comments are interesting but lack any real insight to the Stargate franchise. SG1 was and will always be the lead dog in this franchise. It’s ratings, remember it did an 11.5 rating in its premiere on Shotime and was the networks highest rated show until it ended its run on SHowtime. SG1 was also the leading performer in Syndication and on SYFY between the three series. The real reason for its success was and always will be Richard Dean Anderson. While the other series have performed well for SYFY neither will ever carry the clout that SGI has in the Science Fiction world. The reason Showtime canceled the series had to do with a change in direction creatively the network was making leading to such series like The L Word & Weeds.
I don’t understand all the hate for SGU.
I for one have really enjoyed the heck out of the show.
“Light” was probably one of the most exciting and action-packed episodes of all 3 Stargate incarnations.
I understand there are fans who still like the old procedural self-contained plot formula with quirky characters and some comedy. But, we had that formula for over 12+ years. Personally for me it was getting really old and tiresome and I was glad that they decided to try something different creatively and make the show serialized with more drama.
I know just having the Stargate name will draw comparisons and especially using Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping as recurring guest stars. But wasn’t it about time they tried something different creatively?
It’s the same damn writers, how can it be different creatively? These writers used too many big explosions and space battles in SGA to hide their poor skills. SGU has hardly any explosions or space battles and the inferior writing is now standing naked for all to see. Wrap a dog turd in gold foil and it’s still a dog turd.
@ Don J
“But wasn’t it about time they tried something different creatively?”
When we look at the creative decisions that have been made with SGU for its first 9 episodes, so many fans of the franchise as it was (including myself) would answer your question with a resounding “NO”.
One real insight in to the Stargate Franchise is that SG1 had a nice 10 year run and then seamlessly moved in to making movies. The torch was then passed on to SGA as THE on TV Stargate show that many fans could tune in and love to watch each week.
I think that the writers and creators of Atlantis got to where they didn’t have any new ideas and they knew that the writing was getting old, and so they thought that if they started a new show (SGU) with Soap Opera themes and recycled plots with new faces that people would see it as fresh and edgy. Not so. At least not for many old Stargate fans.
Again, I will state that I’m happy if someone, anyone, likes SGU as it is. They sure spent enough on it for that to be the case. But the truth still remains that some new writers on Atlantis with real fresh ideas and perpectives would have done wonders. Atlanis was ended abruptly, and in my opinion, fairly sloppily.
It didn’t have the run that it should have had because they ended it to start SGU. That was their first mistake because if you are going to end a beloved show before its time to start another show, then that show had better be seen as worth it by fans who feel let down by the premature cancellation of the previous show.
Some will say that the creators and producers didn’t owe their fans anything and that it’s up to them to do whatever they please, fans be damned. But, it was the fans that allowed them to have shows and movies for 12+ years, so not taking their pre-established fan base in to account when making SGU was stupid if they weren’t going to fill the void that Atlantis left. There was bound to be some backlash, especially when so many fans are having a hard time getting in to SGU.
I agree with other people that have said that SGU and Atlantis should have ran simultaneously to end Atlantis properly and then make Atlantis movies. This would have allowed fans to ease in to SGU and give constructive feedback on it without feeling cheated out of the Stargate they knew and enjoyed because SGA would still be on the air. That would have been the best way to go in my opinion.
@kasaja – SG-1 DID NOT do an 11.5 rating (I don’t think showtime could pull off an 11.5 period). I think you’re thinking about 1.5 million viewers (according to Wikipedia) which is significantly lower than any either SGA or SGU (it of course got much better ratings on Sci Fi).
@Don J – I realize there are those who love the franchise and think this series turns its back on that tradition. That’s the reason for that one group’s hate.
Other than those people I don’t think anyone hates it as much as they like parts of it and wish it were better. I, for example, like the on-ship scenes but every time someone goes home it makes me want to fast forward. The lesson that I think is here for the Stargate producers is that they’re trying to do three shows (a sci-fi show, a teen drama and an adult drama) and it’s working for almost no one (yourself being one of the few exceptions).
@Don J
I’m also not sure if “hate” is the right word here. Most people that I know and have read on different threads online feel disappointed. That disappointment should not be misinterpreted as hate.
Yes, there are a few people out there that hated the show before it even aired, but I don’t think that this is the vast majority of people that are complaining about SGU. Most of us really tried to like the show. I gave it many more chances to “get good” than I normally would for a new show before recently deciding to let it go.
I do think they are losing people, but maybe they will gain enough viewers like yourself who actually like what it is they are trying to do that can offset the fans that are leaving.
After having watched the first few episodes of SGU I can’t stress how dissapointed I am. It’s the most boring load of trash I’ve ever had the misfortune to see.
I work away for six weeks at a time and had recorded all of the episodes screened while I was working. I watched the first three and couldn’t bring myself to watch any more, I deleted the rest. Such a dissapointment as I am a big SG1 and SGA fan! NOTHING HAPPENS ON THE SHOW!!!!!
Where is the action, humour, aliens etc we have come to expect from the Stargate franchise?
I started out really wanting to like this show. I really did. And, I enjoyed one episode, Time. It was the best episode of SGU in my opinion.
But, seriously, I’m done watching this show.
I’ve really been holding out, watching patiently, hoping these shows would get better. I think that alot of people were doing the same and I think the numbers will really drop in the second half of the season as people like me finally give up hope that it will get better.
I’m what you’d call a Stargate fan. I own all 10 seasons of SG1, all 5 seasons of SGA, and 3 SG movies on DVD. But, I can’t watch (what I call) Stargate: Soap Opera. There’s just too much 90210 and not enough sci-fi for my taste. I gave it a fair shake (9 hours of my time), but now I’m done.
Why do I waste my time posting this? Because I love the SG franchise too much to let it fail without letting my voice be heard. I hope the producers listen to what the loyal fanbase wants in a show. If we just go away quietly, they’ll continue producing these shows thinking that everyone’s happy… when they obviously are not. I am letting them know that if they want another DVD sale out of me they need to give me what I want. And, as of now, SGU isn’t it.
@ Anyone that wants to give the producers feedback about SGU, here’s a link to one of the producers’ blog. You can post a comment there.
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/october-31-2009-that-long-overdue-rant-and-a-behind-the-scenes-vid-from-water/
I would avoid Joe Malozzi’s blog. He ignores and deletes legitimate criticism. He spends most of his time selecting the most excessive and emotional comments and making fun of them. The rest of the time he makes up excuses, retcons, and is arrogant toward fans who ask questions or find flaws. It’s not worth your time.
I HATE SGU and am very disappointed that it’s part of Stargate productions.. To me SGU is a total flop and the facts are simple, Stargate fans expect science fiction not life-time drama. After re-watching every single SG-1, SGA episodes, all of them this year (back-to-back) from the first to the last episode (total of 10 years plus two movies for SG1 and 5-years of SGA) and enjoying each and every episode, SGU appeal is deteriorating fast. It all comes down to — no one cares what is happening back on Earth, we are concerned with the here and now, we are concerned with this new/old ship and what it has to offer, we are concerned with the crew and how they interact with each other (not sex), we are concerned with the aliens out there on other planets, AND are concerned that STARGATE Franchise has lost it’s edge .
There is no leadership in the entire series just constant bickering Young and Rush and Rush and everyone else. Rush has over played his part. The writers are to blame here.
Therefore, get out in the universe and do what Statgate personnel do, explore the ship, explore planets, meet aliens, learn about the ancients, FORGET ABOUT SEX and HAVING A LISBIAN ON THE SHIP, HAVING FAMILY PROBLEMS BACK ON EARTH, GET RID OF THE STONES AND THE BACK AND FORTH TO EARTH TRAVEL (this is getting mighty old). In fact, the entire cast and show, is getting mighty old, boring, (poor, poor casting and even poorer writing)
Stargate is not supposed to be REALITY TV with family squabbles or, BGS, LOST, ENTERPRISE (even Enterprise met people and explored). These people on Destiney are all supposed to be military (with leadership understand) or highly intelligent scientist with a knowledge of chain of command. If Stargate does not fixed SGU it is doomed.
The show is so dark and dreary. You really can’t tell what is ’suppose’ to be happening. The shakey photography gives me vertigo
I agree with a previous viewer:
“For a show that is supposed to take place at the far edge of the universe, SGU makes its viewers feel like that they are still stuck in a parking lot. Where is the sense of discovery, wonder and danger?”
This series has wrong name. It’s not Stargate. Name that fits this series is Bold And Beautiful in space. I’m fed up this “shite” and not going to watch it anymore since they raped Stargate really badly.
This is not Stargate……. shoot the writers….. NOW!
@Tom
I didn’t put the link there because I believe that he will approve all of the comments that criticize the show. But, he will “have” to at least read enough of them to tell that they are criticisms, which is in itself sending a message to one of the producers.
You are right though, he now takes complaints and criticisms and changes them in to compliments and makes fun of them on his blog. But at least he had to read the original comment to be able to do that.
I was just offering the link to anyone that wanted to “try” and voice an opinion there.
Well, i felt disappointed. Can’t really say anything more about “feelings on the show”. Angry maybe too.
Fact is i agree with lof of ppl here, but have to dissagree on one thing, if SGA were still on, nobody will be watching SGU, and thats the real reason it got cancelled, thats why they cant coexist.
Producers knew this, in order to accept something “different” you have to let go the other show, if not, nobody will ever embrace this new shit.
Well, guess what, they got us “fighting” the show more than watching it or enjoing it, but they still “got us”.
Probably in time we will drop it and so will the show.
I get annoyed constantly with the plots drama -if theres a plot at all-. Going back to earth constantly, all the tears and let downs, i mean, where the hell is the SCI fi? Sometimes i think im watching a Hallmark movie god dam. The only thing that gets me watching its faith in a change, that once all chars are developed enough we get to see some action.
But my faith is fading, like many others, so im hoping for a complete failure more than a change now, couse maybe if this shits ends quickly enough, a new SG begins.
So its sad, we are all fans of SG wishing failure, i dont get how SCI FI can be happy about that, even if the numbers are not that bad, that cant be good.
Watched the first couple episodes and I have not watched it since, it’s horrible and I am not surprised by the low ratings. SciFi should cancel the show and put something better on.
Cheers, Morena. I was thinking that fans should target another producer or writer besides Mallozzi. He’s the worst option when it comes to thoughtful and intelligent discussion.
Thanks Tom.
I’m just not sure that there IS a better option. We’ve seen how Brad Wright feels about criticism when he went on Maureen Ryan’s Twitter page (out of all available means of communication? I bet he’s already sworn off “friending” her on Myspace) to snap at her for doing what she gets paid to do.
Rob Cooper is a little better, but he’s also been mocking in tone with fans that had complaints. They all seem to respond in similar if not the same ways to any type of criticism. And it’s not good.
I’m sure that we might see them as nice guys if we knew them. But that doesn’t change the fact that instead of really hearing what their fans have to say, most of the time they just play defense. It’s sad but true.
@morena
@tom.
I avoid to go through JM’s blog too coz this man seem to think he is the only one who is right. When you try to post on his blog you can’t if you don’t agree with his comments. Your post is removed coz it could make black mark in this superlative world. I can’t respect him when he rants against fans who dare to tell what they think of the new fresh creative show. A man who ignored the lead actor writing some “odd” comments about him and I don’t tell the right word that hit my mind by now.
@tom
“I would avoid Joe Malozzi’s blog. He ignores and deletes legitimate criticism. He spends most of his time selecting the most excessive and emotional comments and making fun of them. The rest of the time he makes up excuses, retcons, and is arrogant toward fans who ask questions or find flaws. It’s not worth your time.”
I agree with this.
It would seem he use some words or sentences out of the context and interpret them or bring oil on the fire. I wonder if he even reads all the interview where came from words or sentences. He spins the facts.
@morena
“I didn’t put the link there because I believe that he will approve all of the comments that criticize the show. But, he will “have” to at least read enough of them to tell that they are criticisms, which is in itself sending a message to one of the producers.
You are right though, he now takes complaints and criticisms and changes them in to compliments and makes fun of them on his blog. But at least he had to read the original comment to be able to do that.
I was just offering the link to anyone that wanted to “try” and voice an opinion there”
He can’t do that. Especially after the ranting he made about the old fans. He didn’t show so many respect here.
Very unprofessional behavior IMO.
When I think I liked the work he made on SGA season 4 and 5 and like some eps who wrote.
I agree with morana about BW and maureen Ryan.
Yawn… if i want a soap ill watch days of our lives..in fact if those characters went throught the stargate and landed on the ship it might be more interesting.I doubt it. Im a SciFi fan. I want to see tech. that might be real some day and fantasy tech we couldnt dream of. I want to see awsome special effects. New concept aliens. Hey they are in a very old part of the universe. there should be wonderous things out there. Give us a funny or stupid character and speed up the storyline.A few more episodes and im hanging up my stargate hat.
bring back atlantis. Even a 2009 version of lost in space would be more exciting!
If we are critiquing the show…. I think the stone’s as a plot device don’t work. It’s too cheap. The show appears to me to be a hosh posh of SG-1, Voyager, Battlestar Galaktica, and SGA. I think the concept is cool, and I am willing to let it develop a little more before I render judgment. From what I have seen on other sites, it should be picked up for next year. But they need to focus less on characters and more on the journey.
To each his own. I’m a bit older than the target audience and love the show. It’s not Battlestar Galactica, but neither is it Star Trek Enterprise. Okay. So some love STE and hate BSG. The cool thing about SGU is that it doesn’t pretend people are perfect. There’s an honesty to that sort of storytelling that’s refreshing. I hope it lasts for at least two or three seasons, and doesn’t just die off like Firefly. It needs an end, now that they’ve got me hooked.
__Terry2012 says:
Yawn… if i want a soap ill watch days of our lives..in fact if those characters went throught the stargate and landed on the ship it might be more interesting.I doubt it. __
LOL…Stefano DiMera vs Rush… Ralph vs Eli! Who will win?
I stick to SGU because I was hoping it’d turn good.
But since I heard the producers don’t give a shit about what the old fans think I simply stopped watching.
I didn’t even watch the mid season finale.
SGU is done.
@Steve: “The cool thing about SGU is that it doesn’t pretend people are perfect. There’s an honesty to that sort of storytelling that’s refreshing.”
SG1 and SGU are completely opposite in that respect. In SG1 all the main characters are saints with pure intentions (which works towards the show’s strengths). However, SGU is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. With what little time the characters don’t spend plotting their next back stab, they’re busy sinking a blade into someone’s spine. Instead of ‘pretending everyone is perfect’, they’re trying to say that everyone is broken.
As a fan of the Stargate franchise I was looking forward to Universe. But here we are, halfway through season one and I still don’t have any idea of what this show wants to be. Nor do I particularly care about any of the characters, which is disappointing. They don’t have to be the “heroes” of the previous Stargate franchises, but I would like for them to at least be compelling. Right now, Justice is on my DVR and I find I’m not in any particular hurry to watch it. Maybe someone dies or is in jeopardy…oh well. I don’t care.
I hope that the franchise continues to do well, mostly because I’d like some more direct to DVD movies! But I think I’m going to be skipping Universe, at least for the rest of this season.
In my opinion, SGU, that I stopped watching after the 4th episode, is very, very bad indeed and has nothing to do with the previous Stargates (SG-1 and SGA)! It’s a “soapbox opera” (as Supertramp would say!) and I completely agree with those that said it was a mistake to include this series in the Stargate saga. In opposite to the other 2 Stargates, the characters are all substandard, with no CHARISMA at all and most of them (if not all!) are boring and very irritating! With so many good series beeing cancelled with no apparent/visible motives, it would be a huge crime if SGU is renewed!
Sorry for the extra “e” on “beeing”…
Im a fan of the whole stargate franchise, so obviously i would want to watch stargate universe. Like the majority of the people watching it, I agree that it is getting really boring. Its like they dont know what kind of show they want to be, but i also feel that they are taking it slowly at the start so we have a little story on each of the characters. Unfortunately this didnt work at all for me, infact i didnt like that its so easy for them to go and frolic around earth in someone elses body using the communication stones. It pretty much ruins the whole aspect of being “stranded” in the universe. On top of that whats with the abuse of them, i mean are we really going to be seeing people go to earth handling their personal drama every episode? I sure hope not, but that is the impression the writers have left on me. Also i find it hard to believe that stargate command is being that nonchalant about the whole situation. I mean they themselves state over and over these people are not the right people to be on destiny, so ummm how about using those nifty communication stones to get some people aboard destiny who know ancient pretty well and could help fix up the ship, its preposterous that they havent done that yet, and im not talking about coming up with a plan to dial back lol, im talking about fixing and exploring possibilities for rescue that can be aboard the ship. anyway enough with this rant, but i need to add that this first half is definately disappointing and the only thing keeping me watching is the franchise name and hoping it will make a turn for the better in the second half of the season, but for the regular person a 4 month break after such a weak start to the show is ludicrous, do that on a second season but at the start? and for the sake of staggering your shows… fresh college grad here willing to run ur company better than you.
and for the comments saying the characters are more “real” because theyre conniving backstabbers… you guys are watching too much survivor or something. If people were in that situation im 100% sure no one would want to vote anyone else off the “island”.
Ok, I agree with most of the negative comments made here but I do have some differences.
1st the acting is good but the soap opera writing needs to be tossed.
2nd I think this show could be saved for a single reason, SG fans want it to if only the producers would wake up and do something about the story arcs.
I’ll just bet they think that over time (and story arc’s to come) that they will win the SG fans back. If they are to keep the current soap opera style they are greatly mistaken.
The story points that MUST change are as follows.
1. WE NEED A HERO. No heroes here to root for. Who is the good guy here?
2. A soap opera plot line. Need I say more? What is this doing here?
3. Wife and boyfriend problems back on earth. These trips to Earth serve little purpose in the story that the audience in really interested in.
4. No control of their destiny (no pun intended) but really they can’t even steer the damn ship! Its nuts the way the writers think that we will support a plot line like this. I’ll grant that it could be a short story arc but it’s gone on way too long.
5. PLEASE FIND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO USE A CAMERA! This handy cam/dirty style of shooting does not give the show any gravitas. Someone sold the producers on this idea and they were robbed. Please hear the collective opinion of the viewers, WE CAN’T STAND IT!
I can see what is trying to be developed here. Create story arcs of characters that are unlikeable and have them redeem themselves over time to the audience. What they are missing is in any great story there has to be a hero and this one is missing it. The audience will ride on the back of a stories hero and stay with it because they care about him (or her). In this case all of the possible leaders to follow have such flaws that they become unlikeable so we end up not rooting for anyone. Thus we have no vested interest in who lives or dies.
The problem with this type of character development is that it belongs in daytime TV on a soap opera not in a prime time science fiction program.
The 80/20 rule applies here. For sifi you should have 80% action and adventure and 20% character conflict. In this case it seems reversed.
I would point out to the producers that the ratings will stay at the current level for only so long, why, because we (the SG fans) are only watching to see if the nose-dive course will be averted.
If we really think there is no hope for change we will start to bailout.
My advice is to hold the show until the summer for rework of the story, fire all the writing/directing staff and hire SG1, and SGA writers (that know how to build a sifi story), reboot this puppy with a new story line that is more reflective of the genre it belongs in.
This series is a bomb! As a retired vet, the way the writers have the military acting is an insult to all service branches! The SGC goes from the elite to the largest gathering of clowns assembled. The infighting grew old after the first hour of the “premier”. The crew is stranded and the most important thing they can think about is who can I have sex with today? I know you would not worry about exploring the ship, because there might be something useful. It is better to get your group to hold the power! Of course it is really just a poor copy of Lost, Survivor, Battlestar, and a soap opera. This thing should just be put out of it’s misery. As a big fan of the StarGate saga, this missed the mark on every level. And no, I don’t watch it anymore!
@ReBoot this puppy
Sadly, these ARE many of the same writers as SGA/SG1.
@ Morena
Sadly, these ARE many of the same writers as SGA/SG1.
———
They are ALL the same writers. They did hire novelist John Scalzi in as a consultant. But he’s there to lend a helping hand to what the powers that be want to write, with no input into the actual generating of storylines.
You can read more from him in this link-
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/09/30/on-being-the-stargate-universe-creative-consultant-answers/
@Kyle B
I said many of the same writers because not all of the writers that worked on SG1 and SGA have written on SGU thus far.
But, you are very correct that absolutely ALL of the writers that HAVE written on SGU did write for the previous 2 shows. I just didn’t clarify my statement. Good looking out.
Thanks for the link:)
@Kyle B
I got around to reading the Q and A from your link. I was so ROTFL when I read:
“That said, whenever possible — and it’s often possible — it’s nice to get your facts right, or at the very least not get them so wrong that it throws your audience out of the moment.”
I don’t think they paid much attention to that suggestion. LOL.
I am a huge fan of all things Stargate, and was a bit skeptical of SGU at first; I swore up and down that I was not going to watch it, that is was going to be a major disappointment because the story just sounded so outlandish…glad I decided to give it a chance!!!
I have watched all of the episodes on Hulu.com of SGU, since the SciFi channel has been moved by my cable network to one of the highest cable tiers they have (way too much money to spend for garbage channels and one good one)!
I think if the numbers are down in tv viewers, then that could really be why…cable companies (Cox Communications, Orbitel, et. al.) have moved the SciFi channel to cable tier that is not just “basic” or “expanded basic” cable, which many people have these days.
IMHO, SGU is kicking some tail for the Stargate Franchise! I mean, in like the very first episode there is a kick butt sex scene, which you have not seen in any of the prior Stargate Franchises, and the concept of finding a ship built by the Ancients leads to many questions/answers that probably can/will directly correlate to the other two franchises.
Daniel Jackson was an ascended being, has had Merlyn’s conciousness, not to mention others, infused into his being. Col. Jack O’Neill has had the Repositories of the Ancients downloaded into his brain…TWICE! These events will probably be streamlined into the SGU franchise, since all the information they have is based from SG-1 & SG-A…
There is no doubt in my mind, especially after seeing the episode of Justice, that there will be some serious things going down, especially since the wonderful schmuck of a “Scientist” has been left alone with a completely alien ship that I am sure he will have up and running in short order, and will then be chasing after the Destiny.
As for Rodney McCay being able to crack the code and get into the system, that is an idea that the writers may incorporate into the story line, but as it stands right now, I can’t wait to buy every last season of SG-U, the same as I did with SG-1 and SG-A, and all four movies (including the original/directors cut of the original).
SIGNED: A LOYAL STARGATE FAN FOR LIFE!
Vince, you make me laugh.
SGU kicking tail……..HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
SGU is the crap ever. Sorry but there is nothing star gate related to this hsow OTHER than the gate. Both of the other series were based on action, adventure and scifi.
This one is based on soap opera Keno opera personal story opera. My mommie baked cookies for me. Hang on while I hurl.
Why oh why does everyone want to compare SGU with the last season of Atlantis, when all of the creative energy in the franchise was already being lavished on the “new” show, and poor writing had driven any semblance of coherency out of the story arcs?
But compare first seasons to first season — when BOTH shows were new and fresh and full of energy — and you’ll see how poorly SGU is faring.
HOW can anyone like this show theyve turned stargate into a freakin SEX DRAMA oh i need to use the ancients stone so i can go do things that shouldnt be shown on tv and disgraces stargate not to mention that Lesbien how anyone can stand for this is beyond me i say Fans should demand this thing taken off the air i mean COME ON THIS IS NOT STARGATE
Ted,
Here’s a petition you can sign:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/BringBackAtlantis
Oh, and one other thing to mention is that Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) is on Sanctuary this Friday!!! Whoo hoo!
I absolutely love Ming-Na from ER and how she is trying to portray what should/could be a fascinating character, but that’s not enough for me to tune in on Fridays. Michael Shanks as an interesting character on Santuary sounds good though. I’m gonna check it out!