Atlantis Cast Changes

[Teotl]

I've been in the Stargate fandom for a long time, but pretty much always as a lurker. With all the various controversies going on at the moment I've been a little bit more active, but the atmosphere is making me sick.

"WE HATE SCI FI! THE TPTB ARE STUPID! WE HATE ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING!"

Seriously, wtf?

Yes, SG-1 has been cancelled. It has happened a long time after I thought it would happen. We have been given perfectly respectable reasons why it was cancelled: it was costing too much money for the ratings it was getting. Oh, but of course it was all Sci-Fi's fault for splitting up SciFi Friday. Never mind that the ratings are pretty close to last year. Never mind that SG-1 was on SciFi for two years before it was joined by SGA and BSG. Of course SciFi wanted to sabotage the show.

And the cast changes to Atlantis...

First of all, before anyone says "How would you like it if they had done that with SG-1?!", I will respond: even if my favourite character was removed from the show, even if my second favourite one was demoted to recurring, even if they brought in a bunch of people that I never cared for - I would at least have the decency to watch it first, before passing judgement.

I can truthfully say that I would do this because I have done this, not with SG-1 but with a different show. I'm not saying don't be upset about the changes, I'm saying don't jump to conclusions about them.

By which I also mean don't make blind assumptions about the reasons for the changes. We have absolutely no idea why they have been made. We don't know if it was a production thing, a plot thing, or simply the actor's choice. Yet fans jump to conclusions and assume foul play, and you know what it ends up sounding like?

"How VERY dare you. Why, my mother and I have been watching these shows for ten years, and never have I been so insulted! Removing my favourite character without my permission? How very dare you."

Maybe it was foul play. Maybe, when you hear the reasons why it happened, you will be shocked and appalled. But for god's sake, wait to hear what the reasons are first.

And a little disclaimer to finish it off: by no means is everyone behaving this way, some people are voicing their opinions in a dignified and adult manner, but the more vocal lot seems to be the ones crying for blood. Which makes sense, I suppose.

[Adria]

there already plety of threads on the cast changes ........venture into season 3 SGA folder

[The Great Lord Baal]

I have to say I agree with you about the cast changes for atlantis(one thing how very dare you let me guess a bit to much catherine tate)

[ACharmedAsgard]

I agree in some part with this. Just try and make it a little less like you are about to kill someone.

You might scare a few people (Not the vocal ones) from the forum.

Just take this into account so no one is unintentionally hurt.

Thanks

ACharmedAsgard (Mike)

[The Great Lord Baal]

Chrmed asgard is right on that

[Phantom Limb]

i agree, cast changes are just what happens in tv shows its a business,
and sg-1 just had its time.

as for atlantis, ive personally always preferred it to sg-1, its the phrase "new direction" which has me slightly worried, thats what they said about Enterprise season 3 and the less said about that the better.

[Teotl]

That was me trying my very best to tone it down. If you still think it was a little harsh, I apologise, but it was the truth. I do feel sick reading all the hate posts, and those are the impressions I get from them.

I have in fact been to the Atlantis forum, and those threads were in fact what I was talking about. I didn't post to them because 1) there were so many, I'd have to post to them all individually, and 2) it doesn't just happen on those threads, it's happening all over the boards.

(And yes, Catherine Tate.)

[jesserella]

the catherine tate reference made me giggle, i don't think you were being too harsh, but mike was right that people have to be careful not to be interpreted that way. I think you have a great point, however, some people don't think like that, and you can't force them, you just have to try and ignore them

[ACharmedAsgard]

the catherine tate reference made me giggle, i don't think you were being too harsh, but mike was right that people have to be careful not to be interpreted that way. I think you have a great point, however, some people don't think like that, and you can't force them, you just have to try and ignore them

Agreed.

We all have to have that horrible and very difficult thing that we call 'Patience' lol.

Personally I think it's the people who post un backed posts that look most like fools.

If there is a valid point it's fine. if not, it's pointless IMHO

[Freekzilla]

That was me trying my very best to tone it down. If you still think it was a little harsh, I apologise, but it was the truth. I do feel sick reading all the hate posts, and those are the impressions I get from them.

I have in fact been to the Atlantis forum, and those threads were in fact what I was talking about. I didn't post to them because 1) there were so many, I'd have to post to them all individually, and 2) it doesn't just happen on those threads, it's happening all over the boards.

(And yes, Catherine Tate.)

True enough. But have you ever considered that we as fans of the show, represent a larger body of fans not on the forum, and that we do not like these changes? Yes, these things happen, all the time in fact. That doesn't mean we have to like it. And let's face it, if this many people are so upset about the changes, couldn't that indicate that a great many more don't like it as well but are not vocal about it? And isn't it the point of the show to get people to watch? If people don't like it, they won't watch. And I think that us fans forget we have a different perspective on the show and think that if we can see all the faults then so can the "the powers that be".

Think of it like this. Someone is driving on the wrong side of the highway, but doesn't know it. The other cars on the road might know it, and are screaming at the other car to get back on the right side. Are they wrong for screaming at the wrong way car? Or should they just let the results happen?

In a way, it's also like complaining when your favorite ball player makes a pass when he should have taken a shot at the goal. Our perspective gives us a view different than the player has, yet we are not the ones playing the game. The problem is, a lot of the "spectators" feel that the player is playing with blinders on, and is refusing to be a "team player" and listen to any advice at all.

In the end, the ratings will show who was right. Ratings are the key. If they go down, then obviously what they did is not what the viewers wanted or liked. And vice versa. But I think that if getting people to watch is the goal, so there will be high ratings and therefore good ad time income, then the producers of the item in question should really listen to what the intended audience wants so that they WILL watch.

It's like having a company say "this is the product we are going to put out." And the public says "we don't want that product." And they go ahead and put it out anyways, but the product flops and the company says, "what happened? I think we need to change the direction we are going." You're going to have the "vocal" segment saying, "we told you so."

It all boils down to people expressing their opinions. To want them to do otherwise is sort of like censorship, considering where we are, in a forum. Instead of trying to get others to conform to your opinon, why not just don't read them? They have as much right to their opinions as you do yours.

[FallenAngelII]

I am personally not upset by the fact that my favourite characters are being written off or reduced (as Carson and Elizabeth never were my favourite characters).

I'm upset by the PTB randomly changing the series so abruptly. First they kill of Carson in such a random way (as random as with Janet). Then, they bring in another doctor. What's up with that? Will she be a completely new kind of doctor? One impossible to keep around should Carson not be there?

Obviously, with Carson dead, we'll need a new medical chief of staff. So if she's not the new chief, then who is? And if she is the new chief, why the heck did they need to bring in a new character for that?! She'll probably just be the same, only with a different personality. It's not like she can magically go out on missions more than Carson ever could. The only difference is that she'll have a new personality, be a woman, be from the "Firefly"-franchise and apparentely be some kind of young genius.

As with Elizabeth, the only reason why she hasn't been given good screentime lately is because the PTB can't write for her. Obviously the solution to this is to reduce her role to recurring. Which was also what the PTB told us they were going to do with Carson. And look what happened. He died.

Nothing good ever comes out of an SGA character going recurring. Ford got 2 episodes (a 2-parter being one of them), the last of which he probably died in. Carson just died.

And then they bring in Sam, shoving her down our throats by putting her in 14 episodes (apparentely that's their definition of "A few"). Not only that, she's "coming over on her own ship", which sounds mighty suspicious, but I won't go into that as it's just a blurb.

I'm not upset (just) because X and Y characters are gone. I'm upset because they're making ultra-drastic changes to the show, changes they could live without (with season 9, they had to change things because RDA and DSD had left the show). The new show will undoubtedly be different and not the same SGA as the one we've been watching for almost 3 years now.

[P-90_177]

I've been in the Stargate fandom for a long time, but pretty much always as a lurker. With all the various controversies going on at the moment I've been a little bit more active, but the atmosphere is making me sick.

"WE HATE SCI FI! THE TPTB ARE STUPID! WE HATE ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING!"

Seriously, wtf?

Yes, SG-1 has been cancelled. It has happened a long time after I thought it would happen. We have been given perfectly respectable reasons why it was cancelled: it was costing too much money for the ratings it was getting. Oh, but of course it was all Sci-Fi's fault for splitting up SciFi Friday. Never mind that the ratings are pretty close to last year. Never mind that SG-1 was on SciFi for two years before it was joined by SGA and BSG. Of course SciFi wanted to sabotage the show.

And the cast changes to Atlantis...

First of all, before anyone says "How would you like it if they had done that with SG-1?!", I will respond: even if my favourite character was removed from the show, even if my second favourite one was demoted to recurring, even if they brought in a bunch of people that I never cared for - I would at least have the decency to watch it first, before passing judgement.

I can truthfully say that I would do this because I have done this, not with SG-1 but with a different show. I'm not saying don't be upset about the changes, I'm saying don't jump to conclusions about them.

By which I also mean don't make blind assumptions about the reasons for the changes. We have absolutely no idea why they have been made. We don't know if it was a production thing, a plot thing, or simply the actor's choice. Yet fans jump to conclusions and assume foul play, and you know what it ends up sounding like?

"How VERY dare you. Why, my mother and I have been watching these shows for ten years, and never have I been so insulted! Removing my favourite character without my permission? How very dare you."

Maybe it was foul play. Maybe, when you hear the reasons why it happened, you will be shocked and appalled. But for god's sake, wait to hear what the reasons are first.

And a little disclaimer to finish it off: by no means is everyone behaving this way, some people are voicing their opinions in a dignified and adult manner, but the more vocal lot seems to be the ones crying for blood. Which makes sense, I suppose.

I agree with you. I supose after what everyone else has said I really shouldn't but I do. I hate it that people are wineing and complaining too but that's because i really dislike people getting that negative about something as trivial as a tv show. i know if they didn't then the show would get cancelled without any resistance but it still bugs me when they don't have the full story. everyone makes mistakes in the first place and tptb are just trying to make a quality tv show. as for sci-fi, it's business. they're trying to run a company and they can't do that by loosing money.

Agreed.

We all have to have that horrible and very difficult thing that we call 'Patience' lol.

Personally I think it's the people who post un backed posts that look most like fools.

If there is a valid point it's fine. if not, it's pointless IMHO

i really agree with you there. i think everyone has been guilty of it at some point but there are people who do it all the time and make themselves look like idiots.

[FallenAngelII]

I agree with you. I supose after what everyone else has said I really shouldn't but I do. I hate it that people are wineing and complaining too but that's because i really dislike people getting that negative about something as trivial as a tv show. i know if they didn't then the show would get cancelled without any resistance but it still bugs me when they don't have the full story. everyone makes mistakes in the first place and tptb are just trying to make a quality tv show. as for sci-fi, it's business. they're trying to run a company and they can't do that by loosing money.

OK, I dislike people who go around tell other people that the things they are passionate about are trivial.

Who are you to dictate what people should and shouldn't be passionate about? Who are you to dictate that someone is wrong for liking certain things to such an extent they come onto message boards to discuss them? What are you even doing here if people like this upset you?

I for one cannot understand why people love sports so much. American schools have their own teams, teams held in more esteem that academic clubs. They pump tons of money into said teams, money better spent buying new equipment and books, but, noooo, they spend millions each year on financing their sports teams. Some teacher favour the sports teams and bloat their grades that they won't get failing ones and thus be ineligible for the teams.

Obviously it's wrong for people to like sports! Obviously it would be wrong for them to be upset if someone decided to change the rules of their sport to disfavour their favourite teams.

[Caldwell's 2IC]

The food chain works like this : A TV Network wants money so they come up with a good show, but they need sponsors ( products advertising ) and sponsors only back up successfull shows, so they chek the ratings.

There's where WE come into the equation: WE the fans give good ratings to a show by watching it and we recommend the show to our friends so the ratings go up. And WE are the ones who actually buy the stuff that they advertise during commercial breaks. So...

Without US, there are no ratings, which means there are no sponsors which means there is no TV show which means TPTB are OUT OF WORK.

WE are the base link in the chain.

So...Decency ??? We are the ones who support this chain; We fans are the ones who deserve being taken into consideration when TPTB think about preposterous cast changes and "new direction" to our show.

It is US who deserve some decency !!!!

[Starxgate]

After the outcry from the fans over these changes I will not be surprised if TPTB just stops listening to the fans all together. Yes fans can say how they dont like how things are being changed & that they dont agree with them etc but the fact is the fans are the ones being very immature about all this & they could be doing things a little differently. In my opinion TPTB should not listen to the fans at all because in the end they will never please everyone. As I said fans can say how they dont like how things are being changed & that they dont agree with them etc but there is a fine line between being professional about this whole thing & voicing their opinions in a mature matter or just being very immature & very childish which is what most Atlantis fans has been & they have to wake up & get used to the fact that TPTB owes them nothing. I really hope that they start ignoring the fan bases completely because in the end as I said not everyone will be pleased & its not worth it.