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    So why did it end when it did?

    Hi everyone.

    Forgive me for asking a question that's probably been asked and answered a hundred times on here, but I've wondered for quite a while now: Why did SG1 get cancelled?

    From what I've heard out of MGM, they were hoping to keep it going for at least another five years, and had pumped a ton of money into it to refresh it. The Ori arc was obviously intended to last a lot longer. Ratings were pretty good. Second-highest show on the network when it died.

    So why?

    Theories I've heard:
    1) It was simply not popular anymore, and everyone hated it.

    I don't buy this one.

    2) It became too expensive to produce, what with built in raises and production stuff and exchange rates and whatnot.

    Might be some truth here.

    3) The producers simply wanted out and killed their own show

    I don't believe this at all

    4) Sci-Fi/Syfy was annoyed that their original spinoff, SGA, was getting lower ratings than SG1, and was always going to be seen as a 'little brother' to the original. Thus they decided to kill SG1, despite the good ratings, so it would make their original SGA look better. If people wanted an SG fix, they'd have to come to Atlantis for it.

    To be honest, I suspect it's probably that one, with a bit of "2" as well. I've heard it rumored (Though never seen any proof) that MGM ran themselves ragged trying to find a new home for the show once they got word Sci-Fi was killing it. The most consistent rumors are that either CBS or Showtime were looking to pick it up. Then (Allegedly, according to rumor) Sci-fi involved a clause in their contract with MGM saying that no one else could run the show unless they (Sci-Fi) gave their approval. So not only did they not want the show anymore, they didn't want anyone else to run it anymore, either.

    Assuming that's true. I dont' know.

    So my question is: Why did the show end when it did and is there any truth to the rumor that Sci-Fi actually kept others from rescuing the show?

    Again, I apologize if this is common knowledge, but I'm a relative newb, and any info you folks could give would be greatly appreciated.
    Sincerely,

    Kevin Long
    (The Artist Formerly Known As Republibot 3.0)
    http://www.kevin-long.com

    #2
    I was wondering why we didnt get an 11th season as well, but I think they ended it the right way. The Goauld were all but done to death, and I don't think there was another season's worth of Ori stories without them getting worn out as well. Even as it was, they had to bring in the Replicators out of the blue just to make the movie Ark of the Truth 90 minutes.
    sigpic
    Check out my blog/forum! http://williamtelltale.blogspot.com/

    Sci Fi TV shows I have watched all of: Star Trek (all shows), Battlestar Galactica (All shows) Firefly, V (old and new) Caprica, SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Fringe, Farscape, Lexx, Babylon 5

    Currently watching: The Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Dr Who, Supernatural, Revolution, Red Dwarf, Under the Dome, Sleepy Hollow, Andromeda

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      #3
      They cancelled it because it was getting too expensive, as a TV show ages, it becomes more valuable and thus becomes more and more expensive to pay for it.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by General Jumper One View Post
        They cancelled it because it was getting too expensive, as a TV show ages, it becomes more valuable and thus becomes more and more expensive to pay for it.
        I agree...the longer a show goes on the more the actors have to be paid, etc.
        sigpic

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          #5
          Look at the issue with The Simpsons' cast. Hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode and they're "only" voice artists.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by General Jumper One View Post
            They cancelled it because it was getting too expensive, as a TV show ages, it becomes more valuable and thus becomes more and more expensive to pay for it.
            Yeah, that was Option 2 listed above. I think that's fairly likely, though getting rid of O'Neil would have theoretically reduced the cost quite a bit. Of course bringing in three major new cast members might have offset that.
            Sincerely,

            Kevin Long
            (The Artist Formerly Known As Republibot 3.0)
            http://www.kevin-long.com

            Comment


              #7
              So what about the rumors that Sci-Fi *kept* anyone else from picking up the show. Any truth to any of that?
              Sincerely,

              Kevin Long
              (The Artist Formerly Known As Republibot 3.0)
              http://www.kevin-long.com

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Republibot 3.0 View Post
                So what about the rumors that Sci-Fi *kept* anyone else from picking up the show. Any truth to any of that?
                This is the first I've heard of it.
                sigpic

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                  #9
                  It was cancelled due to cost considerations, plain and simple. Ten years of cost increase due (largely) to rising salaries of cast and crew alike. When you only have a finite amount of dollars to put into production, at some point the cost outstrips the return. That's what happened with SG-1. That really is the gist of it.
                  "A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Republibot 3.0 View Post
                    So what about the rumors that Sci-Fi *kept* anyone else from picking up the show. Any truth to any of that?
                    Yes. Something in the contract that only allows sci-fi to have American first run rights for the show
                    Originally posted by aretood2
                    Jelgate is right

                    Comment


                      #11
                      It wasn't just the rise in salaries and such...The American dollar lost value while the Canadian dollar gained value, and since the show was shot in Canada, it sort of undermined the show.
                      sigpic

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
                        It wasn't just the rise in salaries and such...The American dollar lost value while the Canadian dollar gained value, and since the show was shot in Canada, it sort of undermined the show.
                        That's only partially true. While the value of the two dollars is fact, the impact it had is considerably less so due to longstanding tax credits offered by the BC government.
                        "A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in. Good people do things for other people. That's it, the end." -- Penelope Wilton in Ricky Gervais's After Life

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by DigiFluid View Post
                          That's only partially true. While the value of the two dollars is fact, the impact it had is considerably less so due to longstanding tax credits offered by the BC government.
                          But it certainly didn't help the matter, I would imagine.
                          sigpic

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by DigiFluid View Post
                            It was cancelled due to cost considerations, plain and simple. Ten years of cost increase due (largely) to rising salaries of cast and crew alike. When you only have a finite amount of dollars to put into production, at some point the cost outstrips the return. That's what happened with SG-1. That really is the gist of it.
                            Entirely believable, and hence probably the right answer. The 'They wouldn't let anyone else save it' rumors persist, though, and after a while they become self-feeding. I figured if anyone knew it'd be you guys.

                            The (Addled?) logic seems to be that if the show had continued on CBS it would have had vastly more exposure than Sci-Fi was capable of, being a broadcast network, which would have made it popular enough be a huge success and detract from SGA
                            Sincerely,

                            Kevin Long
                            (The Artist Formerly Known As Republibot 3.0)
                            http://www.kevin-long.com

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Gen. Chris View Post
                              But it certainly didn't help the matter, I would imagine.
                              Yeah. Even if it wasn't crippling in and of itself, it might have had the adjusted effect of, say, two years raises combined in every year. That'll add up to 'annoying' really fast.
                              Sincerely,

                              Kevin Long
                              (The Artist Formerly Known As Republibot 3.0)
                              http://www.kevin-long.com

                              Comment

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