Writer/Producer Burnout

[Dave2]

Has anyone ever come across any discussion of the subject of writer/producer burnout pertinent to SG1?
I am no TV or cinema professional, but I began to detect burnout by the end of Season 7. Regurgitating storylines, lack of creativity in dialogue and themes......And it sure hit me by Season 9. WIth all due respect to Ben Browder, he first came across as Teal'c's assistant and O'Neill Lite as Cameron Mitchell.

[blueray]

no, i think they did a good job especially since they thought they were going to be canceled. and season 8, had some great episodes like reckoning and threads (which serve as the series finale in a way).

then 9 and 10, i personally liked the ori storyline and at the end of season 9 i definitely was at the edge of my seat.

to me looking back Ben basically played Crichton again.

[AlexanderD]

I didn't sense burnout from the writers. During the last two seasons of SG-1, the writers were also putting together Atlantis. Try writing forty individual scripts a season and tell me if you sometimes have to reuse a plot device.

[Snowman37]

Atlantis overlapped with SG-1's final three seasons, not just the Ori saga. Stories and characters were often recycled, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were creatively burnt out. If anything, I'd say that happened during Atlantis's fifth season. Rather than push on for a sixth season, it was cancelled in favor of the radically different Stargate: Universe. People didn't like it, ratings were in the toilet, and boom... Stargate's over. Ah well...

Shifting back to SG-1, if anything hurt the show, I'd say it was the producers/writers catering to the fans. Instead of simply writing entertaining episodes, it became all about the fans. When you're catering to the fans, it's time for new writers.

[AlexanderD]

Atlantis overlapped with SG-1's final three seasons, not just the Ori saga. Stories and characters were often recycled, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were creatively burnt out. If anything, I'd say that happened during Atlantis's fifth season. Rather than push on for a sixth season, it was cancelled in favor of the radically different Stargate: Universe. People didn't like it, ratings were in the toilet, and boom... Stargate's over. Ah well...

I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. A very astute analysis IMO.

[Gen. Chris]

Writers aren't necessarily the ones to be blamed for the story as a whole. They aren't always the ones that come up with story (as a whole). From what I have noticed, they are handed the basic stories and are expected to flesh them out. Sometimes they are just working with what they are given.

Of course I could be wrong, but that's just my take.

[AlexanderD]

If you refer to Joseph Mallozzi's blog, you'll find postings about season story creation. The writers sat down for two weeks post season, and developed the next seasons story arcs. So really, they are the ones that came up with the story as a whole.

[Krisz]

I personally feel that they did a pretty good job considering how long they had to keep coming up with new stories! I've actually been amazed really as to how inventive they were and how they could still put some new twists on things and keep coming up with new ideas. On really thinking about it, it's not an easy thing to do, so some re-hashing is forgivable, I certainly couldn't keep thinking up all those ideas!

I wouldn't call it burnout, but more of being stuck with that 'village' set and 'forests' to work with!!!

[Dave2]

Yes, I suppose so. I found it amusing that the planet of many thousands of Sodans only had a small village of a few dozen people to show for itself.
On the other hand, I felt Vala Mal Doran was a sign of writer burnout. That character was an awful addition.
There was the planet of all those Unas warriors that was far more populated than the Sodan planet later.

I personally feel that they did a pretty good job considering how long they had to keep coming up with new stories! I've actually been amazed really as to how inventive they were and how they could still put some new twists on things and keep coming up with new ideas. On really thinking about it, it's not an easy thing to do, so some re-hashing is forgivable, I certainly couldn't keep thinking up all those ideas!

I wouldn't call it burnout, but more of being stuck with that 'village' set and 'forests' to work with!!!

[SF_and_Coffee]

Oh for cryin' out loud! Once again, just because an episode takes place in a small village near the stargate, that doesn't mean that's all the planet has. What do you expect to have happen? Should every trip that SG-1 took have involved them stepping out of the Stargate and then magically acquiring the ability to fly, so they could go and tour the entire friggin' planet before getting involved in whatever was going on locally?

It isn't as if most of these Stargates were on worlds with airports and planes, after all, or any other travel network. How exactly was an SG team supposed to check out the whole planet, and why is this necessary?

God, having to hear this tired old complaint over and over again is one of the most annoying things on this forum.

[discodiva]

Well said!...I have to say that since this rewatch began I've noticed a lot more "nit-picking" coming from fans, either new or old..

I miss the old days when a new episode was looked forward to with so much excitement and for days afterward there were threads enthusing over storylines, costumes, set design, acting and general Stargate-ey-ness....


Having visited that set, both when it was used as a village AND as the ruins of Dakara for "Ark of Truth" I can say it was the most amazing piece of design work and artistic skill that I had seen for a long while....

Maybe newer fans feel they are "entitled" to more "bling" in their series in every way?...better writing, acting, characters etc. etc., but being one of the older guard I have to say, Stargate to me, stands the test of time pretty well against many of the blander newcomers around these days!..




Deeds xx

[Gen. Chris]

If you refer to Joseph Mallozzi's blog, you'll find postings about season story creation. The writers sat down for two weeks post season, and developed the next seasons story arcs. So really, they are the ones that came up with the story as a whole.

Interesting...

I know of a few shows where the writers get little to no say in what happens though in terms of the arc of the season. There are some show creators that want to be the geniuses behind the arcs and just let the writers flesh them out.

Letting the writers brainstorm over the potential arcs is probably what kept many of them interested in writing the show. Though, using all the same writers definitely can lead to some staleness.

[Gen. Chris]

Well said!...I have to say that since this rewatch began I've noticed a lot more "nit-picking" coming from fans, either new or old..

I miss the old days when a new episode was looked forward to with so much excitement and for days afterward there were threads enthusing over storylines, costumes, set design, acting and general Stargate-ey-ness....


Having visited that set, both when it was used as a village AND as the ruins of Dakara for "Ark of Truth" I can say it was the most amazing piece of design work and artistic skill that I had seen for a long while....

Maybe newer fans feel they are "entitled" to more "bling" in their series in every way?...better writing, acting, characters etc. etc., but being one of the older guard I have to say, Stargate to me, stands the test of time pretty well against many of the blander newcomers around these days!..




Deeds xx

I'm a new watcher and I definitely appreciate the work that went into it

My only complaint is that every goa'uld system lord used Egyptian-style ships, exterior and interior. It is weird seeing Lord Yu's flag ship with Egyptian hieroglyphs on the inside.

But I know that was a definite cost saver.

[discodiva]

Yes that is very true......there is only so much that could be spent with the budget.....I thought that seeing the Sets at Bridge and the Prop Storage Facility at Norco would go in someway to suspending my disbelief at Stargate but it only made me more of a fan...it increased my admiration for all the hard work behind the scenes that goes on and the artistry of the set decorators, prop makers and costume designers.....when Stargate started in the 90's it was one of a few Sci-Fi programes at the top of the genre imho and it might not have had the budget that some shows have now, over 15 years later, but it had a certain star quality that I find lacking in many generic shows now....

And to keep on topic (and to answer a little of the OP's original complaint ) although I notice sometimes on GW a distinct "lack of support" for the latter seasons, I can assure you that there are fans who don't post here but are still very very VERY much into Stargate and the fandom and who thoroughly enjoy the writing in S.9, 10 and the Ark of Truth and the Ori storyline....Gateworld is/was a very big Stargate site, but not everyone automatically comes here...there is still much discussion going on privately elsewhere about the latter seasons and how much they were enjoyed....

Deeds xx

[fems]

I'm a new watcher and I definitely appreciate the work that went into it

My only complaint is that every goa'uld system lord used Egyptian-style ships, exterior and interior. It is weird seeing Lord Yu's flag ship with Egyptian hieroglyphs on the inside.

But I know that was a definite cost saver.

I like to think it's simply because the Goa'uld (and System Lords in specific) fight each other a lot and therefore acquire each other's ships, so Yu's fleet could have originally belonged to Apophis for example.