Tapping gates to Atlantis for Season Four

[Mitchell82]

I'm not going to read another 100 or so posts but I think I gete the drift around here. I truly don't think that they are trying to "destroy" or mess with Atlantis. If Carson is leaving it is likely money realted which also explains the hiring of jewel who would be cheaper. The hiring of a Actor to play the commander of the Apollo makes sense and also says that the ship might be around awhile. Now to Carter. They would loose alot of money if the lost AT b/c she signed a 2 year contract hence they would have to pay her anyway. It also stands to reason not all the cast had such deals. So I being a fan of both shows would not mind Carter on Atlantis and personally believe they will not sacrifice other characters just for her. I have no doubt Atlantis will be as good with her as without her.

[caty]

Joe: Why is your name at the end?
David: Because the first spot was taken.
Joe: Oh

Hilarious! Can't wait to get my hands on the Season 2 box set

Everyone sure is upset that Carter is gating to Atlantis. How come no one got mad when Ronan replaced Ford?

As other people said, a lot of people were mad... But apart from that, it's a whole different situation. I'm upset because they're bringing Sam from SG-1 to Atlantis because I like to think of them as the seperate shows that they are and I don't think Sam in Atlantis works...

[Willow'sCat]

Joe: Why is your name at the end?
David: Because the first spot was taken.
Joe: Oh

It is all in the delivery.

If Carson is leaving it is likely money realted which also explains the hiring of jewel who would be cheaper.

I don't' think money has anything to do with it, if that were true
spoilers season 4

Spoiler:

they would just simply make Carson a reoccurring character *again* and NOT hire another actor as well. It seems Carson may get the FORD treatment and this new MD played by Jewel will have at least a dozen episodes (out of 20), whether she *the character* does much more then show up is anyones guess, add Carter into the mix and there goes the character development time for everyone not named McKay.

hence they would have to pay her anyway

Why would they? I assume AT isn't the only actor still under contract, she seems to be the only one however that tptb want to use while she still is under contract. I think they have insurance and clauses and the like in contracts that deal with a shows cancellation without it costing all involved an arm and a leg. Too many shows get cancelled to even consider that as an issue or reason for this decision *IMHO*

[Farscapefan]

As other people said, a lot of people were mad... But apart from that, it's a whole different situation. I'm upset because they're bringing Sam from SG-1 to Atlantis because I like to think of them as the seperate shows that they are and I don't think Sam in Atlantis works...

TPTB think of them as the franchise, not entirely separate shows. I guess the audience has to accept this or stop watching.

[scarimor]

Everyone sure is upset that Carter is gating to Atlantis.

Everyone? I'm not.

How come no one got mad when Ronan replaced Ford?

They did. Although there aren't as many parallels here. Sam isn't an original character based in the Atlantis universe and she isn't "replacing" an established character; she's an old (ten seasons) and familiar character from another show (the "original" series) and she's being added to an already over-burdened cast of half-developed to undeveloped characters.

I can't speak for everyone, of course, but I know that one of the questions I have is why in the hell are they bringing in ANYONE when they seem to have trouble developing the characters they already have?

Atlantis isn't a character-driven show and never has been. SG-1 was more so (for the first six years, anyway) but even that series was propelled at least as much as an action-driven show as a character-driven one.

I don't buy the "springboard" theory of SG-1 characters being used to bounce the existing characters into new directions. You don't need outside help for that... not if you know what you're doing.

Teyla and Ronon play nothing but backup as it is. The more characters that get added to the roster (at whatever level of frequency) the less time there is for the characters we already know- or rather, the ones we're SUPPOSED to know, the ones we SHOULD know by now but who for the most part continue to remain relatively unknown because TPTB either can't be bothered to write for them or they simply have no clue what to do with them.

The characters serve the series, not the other way around. I find the ensemble for Atlantis works very well, despite wanting more of Weir and Teyla, as the material from which stories are made. Adding Sam to the mix has great potential, imo. It remains to be seen whether that potential is realised.

[bluealien]

TPTB think of them as the franchise, not entirely separate shows. I guess the audience has to accept this or stop watching.

Yeah and that is the problem - lots of people may just stop watching.

If TPTB think that trying to merge the characters into both of the shows will bring in lots more SG1 viewers then they have not considered the possibiltiy that it may also alienate a lot SGA viewers - so what is the point.

They may be part of the same franchise but they are separate shows with separate characters and different dynamics. Carter fitted in well with the SG1 dynamic because she has had 10 YEARS to work on that dynamic. But unfortunately the PTB are not willing to give the same opportunity to the SGA cast. They are completely messing with something that already works very well and with a cast that has worked so well. So they are giving us new characters in favour of characters that were extremely popular and loved by the fans and now also sending over SG1 charcacters in the belief that it will bring over SG1 fans.

But what about the already existing fans of the show who have been watching for 3 years and are finally beginning to get the characterization and team closeness that we have been asking for. So we get it and it seems to be working fine but its going to get torn apart again.

Spoiler:

How can Jewel Staite be a believable replacement for Carson - she is 24 yrs old and is taking over his position.!! What role can Sam play when we already have a scientest. Don't we have enough technobabble already. How can these changes not effect the existing cast. We will have 4 female roles - the writers have barely been able to write for the existing two.
IMO its not the cast that need changing but the writers. Get writers who can write well for ALL the cast and give them equal screentime because the cast we already have are fantastic, and have loads of potential but unfortunately the writers have not even utilised their existing cast to its full potential. Thats all they needed to concentrate on and not change or add anymore NEW characters to the mix.

[StratoBOB]

Well, this news is random, unexpected, and pretty unsettling. If they were going to move any character to Atlantis it should have been Daniel.

Like.. Oh, I had an idea, let's send the two most intelligent scientists we have to another galaxy. Erm, no.

Sad news...

On the flip side we have a new recurring character portrayed by Jewel Staite to look forward to in Season 4!

Agree about Daniel. This is the only one character I want to see next in Atlantis permanently if SG-1 ends really. Maybe Vala in some guest apearances , but Carter I don't want to see as a regular SGA cast. SGA has his Rodney and he is good enought.

[Easter Lily]

I suppose Stargate is in a unique position as a franchise with two shows broadcasting concurrently mainting two groups of fans. Obviously there are overlaps in fandom but from the looks of things here, it's probably not enough to convince a large number of fans about the viability of long-term crossovers or cast transplants. I can't help thinking with everything that I've read that it's all about the Almighty Dollar. *surprise, surprise*

I started the Anti-Transplant thread a few months ago after some not-so-subtle hints from Sci-Fi management that characters from SG-1 could find themselves in Atlantis. While I'm not ready to pronounce doom for Atlantis because of one character who may or may not be making regular appearances on the show, I can only hope that this is not the first of many such moves. Or shoud I say "wish"

I don't know what to think... am I selfish to want Atlantis to largely remain as is? I'm sure the show could do with lots of adjustments and tweaking but bringing a character from the parent show isn't it, I don't think.

[sgeureka]

TPTB think of them as the franchise, not entirely separate shows. I guess the audience has to accept this or stop watching.

Yeah, it certainly seems that way. Works well for some fans, not so great for others. And the majority of non-internet SGA viewers may not care at all.

Yeah and that is the problem - lots of people may just stop watching.

If TPTB think that trying to merge the characters into both of the shows will bring in lots more SG1 viewers then they have not considered the possibiltiy that it may also alienate a lot SGA viewers - so what is the point. [snip] So they are giving us new characters in favour of characters that were extremely popular and loved by the fans and now also sending over SG1 charcacters in the belief that it will bring over SG1 fans.

And lots of people may stop watching if TPTB do something completely different.

Put yourself into TPTB's shoes for a sec. What would you do that guarantees more viewers? Can't think of anything with certainty? Neither can I.

And neither can TPTB. They have to try out things and (fore)see what works. This year unfortunately, the ratings can't really be used to say what works/worked. And they can't take the fans' opinions into account simply because those aren't there yet when TPTB have to plan future story arcs.

This step of TPTB may turn out to help to renew my interest in SGA (I know S3 already did). Or it could be the final nail in the coffin. Bless you, I won't go around screaming "Have faith", because frankly, my faith in TPTB hasn't always turned out favorably. But the opposite is just as misleading (IMO). In the end, the remote control will decide.

[scarimor]

Agree about Daniel. This is the only one character I want to see next in Atlantis permanently if SG-1 ends really. Maybe Vala in some guest apearances , but Carter I don't want to see as a regular SGA cast. SGA has his Rodney and he is good enought.

I really don't see what point there would be to putting Daniel on Atlantis. Sure, he wanted to go, but in his current incarnation he is wrapped up with the Ori (which is SG-1's gig) and he has no connection to the difficulties that the Atlantis mission continue to face. His expertise lay in the Goa'uld connection with Tau'ri mythology, and now the Authurian saga.

Vala - yes, I can see her fitting in nicely. She and Teyla could be quite a team in the trade/barter/negotiation department with other worlds.

Sam has plenty of potential. She has knowledge of replicator technology and a lot of experience in dealing with them. She has command experience, she did much of the groundwork with Ancient technology as SG-1 encountered it, she's a soldier as well as a scientist. I can see her going into battle side by side with Teyla and Sheppard and Ronon. I don't want to see the Sam/McKay interaction over-shadow the rest, despite its success. There's a lot more potential than that.

[obsessed1]

Before we start a battle in this thread about what one can say and what not - please remember this thread is not called "Keep this SG-1 character out - SAVE SGA!" *checks-the-thread-title*

Although this thread currently strongly points in the anti-Sam territory, do not assume to speak for all the SGA fans in this thread when you read contrary opinions. Of course, as a SG-1 fan, I'm kind of happy that Sam will be in a couple of episodes in S4, as I won't be seeing much of the SG-1 characters next year. And as a SGA fan I also have some worries, most are certainly justified. (I've already stated that.)

So, TPTB want to do something that they think will please the SG-1 crowd... Why not, I ask? Because as a true (yeah, right) SGA fan you have to hate everything reminding of SG-1? Something that's been part of SGA for all previous seasons?

At the moment, no-one knows how many episodes AT will do (I personally guess around 6). If you have never liked cross-overs, then fine. No problems with that on my side. Not at all. Then that's just a personal preference.

But I won't applaud when I'm being told what I have to think, say or do if I want to consider myself part of the big SGA fan group.

(This post was to the general reader. It was just something that I noticed pretty early on in the thread and I wanted to point that out. )

Because you have had TEN years! Ten years!
What about TPTB doing something to please the ATLANTIS crowd?
It's time to give Atlantis a chance.

Atlantis has grown up besides SG1 but it doesnt mean that Atlantis owes something because of that! It still a completely different show and if you watch Atlantis then you'd know that...and I know that, a character like Sam just wouldnt fit. Not because she's from SG1, because she has been over developed to death and the ATlantis characters have not....at all. Yet.

And being a true SGA fan does not mean you dont like SG1. Many Atlantis fans do or did watch SG1 and alot of Atlantis fans have only every watched Atlantis, just like some SG1 fans only ever watched SG1 and dislike Atlantis because its a spin off.

Its a tricky subject and I dont think any of us will be truly happy which in my eyes, spells trouble for Atlantis.

[prion]

TPTB think of them as the franchise, not entirely separate shows. I guess the audience has to accept this or stop watching.

well, Scifi has an unsettling history of destroying shows with cast changes; Invisible Man is a classic example of taking a show an interjecting a 'babe', complete with tight outfits, to draw in that stupid male demographic (and I say stupid because if SciFi thought about it, they shoudl do what CSI does - appeal to the female audience, who does, yes, have money, although young males tend to spend their money in a very indiscriminate fashion, but anyway...).

TPTB probably think that Jewel Staite, being young and female, will draw in a male audience. Will she be stuck in a tight outfit? Only time will tell, but she'll be a twig if they do that as she looked awful tiny at the convention I saw her at two weeks ago. OR will she will wear low-cut shirts (the writers should read the NY Times about why that is NOT advisable as a doctor)? I honestly don't have faith in the people who make these spurious decisions due to past experiences with scifi meddling.

SGA isn't ER. you can't just keep replacing characters becuase in in scifi, fans DO get attached to characters. Can you imagine if in classic Trek, they decided "let's get rid of the guy with the ears?" (never mind that in that case, as with SG, it's writers they should jettison, not actors).

As for Amanda going over... what can Sam contribute to the show? really? You've got ROdney and Sam, two of the smartest people in the galaxy. The very occasional sniping is fun to watch once in a while, but does anybody think this won't get tired fast (like a bad sitcom) if Rodney continually acts like an idiot around Sam?

I don't mind 1-2 appearances. No more. There's no need.

[scarimor]

Atlantis has grown up besides SG1 but it doesnt mean that Atlantis owes something because of that! It still a completely different show and if you watch Atlantis then you know that...and you'd know that a character like Sam just wouldnt fit.

Where do you get off speaking for people who watch Atlantis and for Atlantis fans? This Atlantis fan does not agree with you.

[bluealien]

Where do you get off speaking for people who watch Atlantis and for Atlantis fans? This Atlantis fan does not agree with you.

I think she was just stating HER opinion and as an Atlantis fan I agree - Atlantis is a completely different show with a different dynamic and I don't see Sam fitting in at all.

[scarimor]

I think she was just stating HER opinion ...

Hardly.

obsessed1 said:

...if you watch Atlantis then you know that...and you'd know that a character like Sam just wouldnt fit.

I do watch Atlantis, and I "know" different, thanks.

In other words, we have different opinions, and no one should claim to speak for others, which is exactly what the above statement does.