Why isn't Stargate as popular as LotR/Star Wars/Star Trek?

[pkprd869]

Alot of good points about the longevity of SW, Star Trek, and LOTR. LOTR movies outside of the huge battles, I thought were boring. Heresy I know, but there it is. I have not read the books, so I won't comment on them. I like some others don't consider LOTR scifi. All three of these had several major motion pictures. The Stargate we love, has not. I do agree the evolution of tv stations helped Star Trek and hurt Stargate. To back up some others who mentioned this, Stargate is action and fun with some character development, while the others try to make some epic statement.

[sramir2]

Also to me, some of Star Trek just seems so boring sometimes, there was not enough comedy in the series to make them interesting. Comedy is what makes Stargate so much darn fun and interesting, for example; I just finished watching season 6 episode 'Robots' it wasn't the best episode in the series it was OK but what made it great to watch was the scene where they are eating ice cream while Jonas explaining that he has never encounter the but has studyed all of Daniel's notes on them, and in the background you have Teal'c eating ice cream while Jack trying to take it and its hilarious to watch. Teal'c got all mad and gave Jack another container, then later he took it from him. Not a single word was exchanged but it was one of the funniest scenes in Stargate. While not Star Trek has only a couple scenes like that in there whole franchise Stargate has that every week, something to keep you from getting bored from the same old stuff that's in other shows.


The reason why I love Stargate is that it's fun, entertaining, and easy to watch. They are not like Star Trek and Star Wars, who take thereselves so seriously most of the time. Stargate will and enjoy making fun of themselves, Problaby the greatest episode in the show is WoO, its the funniest episode, while still trying to have some strong emotional ties it the end. I know that Stargate has technobabble, but its not like Startrek or StarWars, whos shows you almost have to understand it to follow whats going on most of the time, while Stargate technobabble is like a sub to the show, while might spout it out you really don't need to understand it, cause most of the time or or just cuts her off anyway, before she finishes it anyway.

[the fifth man]

I really believe that, years from now, Stargate will be appreciated much more than it is now.

[rushy]

You're forgetting Dune. The movies might be forgettable but the computer games and books are certainly historic.
For instance, the game Dune II is what technically created RTS in the first place.
The books are unbelievably well made by Frank Herbert whose name must be said along with Tolkien and the others.

[Gormagon]

I have read few of these posts however one thing I must point out is that Stargate has not been around as long as Star Trek, Star Wars or LOTR.

Star Trek-TOS came out in 1966.
Star Wars A new hope came out in 1977.
LOTR came out in 1949.
The original Stargate movie came out in 1994.
Stargate SG-1 came out in 1997 I believe.

Stargate is so much younger it needs time to circulate, but it will be just as popular eventually I believe. There are already many Stargate novels.

[rushy]

I have read few of these posts however one thing I must point out is that Stargate has not been around as long as Star Trek, Star Wars or LOTR.

Star Trek-TOS came out in 1966.
Star Wars A new hope came out in 1977.
LOTR came out in 1949.
The original Stargate movie came out in 1994.
Stargate SG-1 came out in 1997 I believe.

Stargate is so much younger it needs time to circulate, but it will be just as popular eventually I believe. There are already many Stargate novels.

Agreed, I went in a science fiction shop and I went to the Stargate bookshelf. It was filled with SGA books with 1 SGU book squeezed in at the end.

[dr_rodney_mcray]

I think part of the reason why it isn't so popular is because you really have to watch stargate from the beginning (Stargate the movie, SG-1, Atlantis, other movies, then Stargate Universe) If you don't you will not understand the terms and alien names they use. Some people tried to get into it with SyFy but it just didn't work out because there are so many episodes. It's sad, because in my mind Stargate surpasses all of the sci-fi shows I have ever seen. Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica included.

[rushy]

I think part of the reason why it isn't so popular is because you really have to watch stargate from the beginning (Stargate the movie, SG-1, Atlantis, other movies, then Stargate Universe) If you don't you will not understand the terms and alien names they use. Some people tried to get into it with SyFy but it just didn't work out because there are so many episodes. It's sad, because in my mind Stargate surpasses all of the sci-fi shows I have ever seen. Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica included.

You mean it isn't popular because it's too big(18 seasons, three movies, lots of books)?

[garhkal]

Actually 17 seasons..
10 sg1
5 sga
2 sgu

[KEK]

I suppose you could argue 18 with Infinity. Or 19 if you count the Kino series as a series, which IMDb seems to.

[Grinspoon]

Stargate is more recent and just in the shadow of these things.

The historical context and the influence they had of the other franchises. Is simply something Stargate didn't have. Stargate is more the child of a bunch of past shows and ideas.


I bet people mid 30s down, more of them would have watched Stargate than a Star Trek series.

In the end also, Stargate while very good. Didn't really distinguish itself. Star Trek, Star Wars were revolutionary at their time. Battlestar Galactica. At the time people went nuts because Star Wars blew their mind hole.
hen that was on TV. They were young, it was amazing. So there was that connection. Then the new series distinguished itself by being mature and adult. A kind of genius move. People who loved the original are older now. Appeal to them. Although was BSG actually more successful than Stargate? Ratings wise?

It's purely because Stargate was never really revolutionary or stand out. However lets not forget it's very successful.

[Gatefan1976]

It's purely because Stargate was never really revolutionary or stand out. However lets not forget it's very successful.

Oh I dunno, name me another obsensibly "Scifi" series that *could* be happening right now.

[garhkal]

That MIGHT have been part of why it was not as popular.. Cause of the "it could be happening right now" aspect.

[Gatefan1976]

That MIGHT have been part of why it was not as popular.. Cause of the "it could be happening right now" aspect.

An entirely fair observation garhkal.

[garhkal]

Thannks.. I know some of those i chatted with on base didn't like the entire SG franchise just cause of that factor. Others cause they didn't like RDA (hated maguiver) and one cause he just flat out hates sci fi shows..

[Ibn Rushd]

I like both Star Trek and Stargate SG-1, but I was a Trek fan much earlier, and it seems to address us better with the thematic issues. Stargate was more into gov't innuendo which is good for a "happening right now" show, but it couldn't handle those overarching issues like Star Trek could.

[Mister Oragahn]

The show is too weak, and never taken seriously enough after the move to SciFi.
SGA was a show created out of the blue, all driven purely by greed since it was not supposed to be anything but a big TV movie. Writers, back then, admitted not knowing where they were going beyond SGA's 1st season, due to a lack of preparation on the overall plot. And it showed for ALL the seasons after season 1. A succession of lame plots, over used tropes, under developed 2D characters and races (the Wraith had such potential), a lack of mystique and exotic places, dumbing of the Ancients (they were cheaply used to add background/historical substance), crappy season finales, you name it. It's a miracle that it stood so long, largely due to a new and insisting albeit obsessive audience.
Then SGU, a veiled reboot of what SGA wasn't and that was troublesome for plenty of reasons. With BSG gone, it was probably decided that SGU could or even should then fit into the spot for serious grimdark show.
Now don't get me wrong, most of Star Trek's spin offs worked from the same sheer need to make lots of bucks, but they had heaps of quality that went into script writing and background (especially DS9). Added to the aura it had since the way it debuted and what its stories told, it produced a whole cult/pulp SF force that Stargate will never be able to challenge. Farscape, Firefly, Babylon 5 are all condemned to a niche appeal. Same goes for Stargate.

And then, how do you plan to compete against the true work of art of Tolkien and the amount of seriousness that went into it!

Star Wars owes it all to its debuts and its revolution. The sequels are but an echo of what the original movies revealed back then.

[rushy]

It isn't as popular because Farscape overshadows it. Also, you forgot to mention the saga that started with "2001: A Space Odyssey".

[cyrusDCmonster]

star trek and star wars were the pioneer franchises of sci-fi for tv and cinema and complete game changers. there was nothing like them on tv or cinema and were able to become pop culture phenoms in their own rights and everything produced with that franchise tag on it would then receive more attention in main stream and hence become more popular. stargate sg1 debut 15 years ago, relative infancy compared to star wars and star trek. when it debuted there was star trek ds9, voyager and a bunch on other sci fi shows as well for it to share air space and attention with.
while the franchise may not be as popular as star trek or star wars i'd put it on that level just below. it is still a widely popular franchise.