Syfy Closes the 'Stargate' ... For Now

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Syfy Closes the 'Stargate' ... For Now
December 17, 2010
by Mike Moody
TV Squad

The transformation is complete: The SciFi Channel, for better or worse, is now officially Syfy.

The cable network canceled 'Stargate Universe,' its last remaining space-set sci-fi drama yesterday. Luckily, Syfy isn't shelving the remaining 10 episodes of 'SGU's' current season; those will hit the air as scheduled starting next spring. But the cancellation still stings -- hard -- for fans of the show, fans of the long-running 'Stargate' franchise, and fans of science fiction TV.

'Stargate' has been a part of the cable network since 2002, and it represented the last "true" science fiction Syfy had to offer. While 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis' delivered fun, action-adventure science fiction, 'SGU' offered a kind of entertainment that's quickly disappearing from TV – serialized sci-fi drama.

All we have left to look forward to on Syfy now are light procedural shows with sci-fi elements, like 'Warehouse 13' and 'Eureka,' reality programming, Z-grade made-for-TV movies and wrestling. It's programming that appeals to a broader audience. (I do have high hopes for the upcoming 'Being Human' remake and 'Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome'.) Granted, 'Warehouse 13' and 'Eureka' are pretty fun shows, but they're not shows I can get lost in or obsessive about; 'SGU' was. It was a dark, ambitious, challenging and stylized slice of sci-fi.

So, the question now is "What went wrong?" Well, the frustrating answer is ... nothing, really.

Simply put, the ratings weren't there. 'SGU' struggled to reach even a million live viewers several times during season 2.

My friend Darren Sumner, editor of the 'Stargate' fan site Gateworld, agreed that the cancellation was a quick and cold business decision from Syfy.

"At the end of the day, it is obviously about the ratings. It's about how many viewers they (Syfy) can show their advertisers they have and how much money they can get from their advertisers to off-set the money that they're spending on the show," Sumner said.

Some blame the ratings failure on Syfy's decision to move the show from Friday nights to Tuesday nights (to make room for wrestling on Friday), but the truth is that 'SGU' rarely nabbed a large audience even when it aired on Fridays. 'SGU' was never really a hit for Syfy.

But why didn't the show become a hit? My pal Michael Hinman, who runs the sci-fi blog Airlock Alpha, blames the network's handling and promotion (or lack thereof) of the show.

"I think it was a mistake, to be honest, for the 'Stargate' people to trust that Syfy knew how to handle this type of programming," Hinman said during a conversation we had last night about the cancellation. "This type of programming (serialized, character driven sci-fi) commonly suffers if you don't handle it well. You don't get this type of audience erosion if you don't plan and promote the DVD releases better, promote the show better or schedule regular marathons."

Hinman had a point. I never thought Syfy's marketing campaigns for 'SGU' were very compelling or effective, and I don't remember the network ever scheduling a marathon during the run of season 2 -- a strategy that's paid off for other shows, like AMC's 'The Walking Dead.'

But what about the content of the show? 'SGU' was a tough show to love, even for 'Stargate' fans. Several fans of the franchise refused to watch it because it represented such a huge departure from what came before with 'SG-1' and 'Atlantis.' Gone were the episodic adventures featuring a friendly team of do-gooders battling disposable baddies. In its place, co-creators Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright offered slower-paced character-centric stories, a darker and more stylized look, and serialized plots that stretched out over two seasons.

You couldn't just jump right in to the show at any point; you had to start from the beginning. And that's not a bad thing, creatively. Ratings-wise, it was a risky move, as evidenced by the fate of 'SGU' and 'Caprica' before it.

I enjoyed 'SGU' for what it was -- an experimental sci-fi series packed with solid actors and a great premise that was trying to find its way. It didn't always achieve what it set out to do -- grab viewers with compelling human drama and fantastic science fiction concepts -- but at least the creators attempted something different after 15 seasons of mostly one-dimensional episodic storytelling with the previous shows. 'SGU' wasn't a great show, but it was getting there.

So where does the 'Stargate' franchise go from here? Will Brad Wright and crew pull a new show together in a few seasons? Will we finally see the production and release of those rumored 'SG-1' and 'Atlantis' DVD movies? Or will the series go dark for a few years and make a splashy return with a new look, and maybe even a new creative team, like 'Star Trek?'

"We know that season 2 is going to leave us on a cliffhanger when it comes back in the spring, so I hope for a movie for 'SGU' to tie up that major story arc, like 'The Ark of Truth' did for 'SG-1' a couple of years ago," Sumner said. "But I think we've reached a point where the franchise is taking a breather. It's been on the air continuously for 14 years ... I think the franchise is going to take a break. How long will that break be? When will it come back? Will the same creatives be behind it? I think only time will tell."

We'll be covering the final episodes of 'SGU' next year, so remember to head back to TV Squad when the show returns to the air next spring.
Tags: canceled shows, cancellations, stargate, Stargate Universe, sy