SG-1 and Atlantis Renewed

[jungleboy_george]

This is what i posted at www.sg1archive.com on this topic:

First let me say there have been a lot of different ideas to come out of this thread, and a lot of different opinions about movie possibilities, mini-series etc etc. But the overriding theme is whether they should make a season 9 or not. OK here is my attempt at tackling this issue...

Let me begin by letting you know i live way "down under" in Australia and have been a devout SG-1 fan since the very beginning... since the movie in fact when I was but a child of 10 years. I am such a fan that rather than wait for MGM Australia to get its act together with regard to DVD releases, I took it upon myself to get all of the season box sets to date shipped over from Canada (which happened to have the lowest prices!). And i have just recently finished viewing season 7, which has just begun showing on television on our Channel 7. I don't even know whether or not they are going to show Atlantis here on television...

Now to the nitty gritty. The thing i will point out is that season 7 could so easily have been the final season of SG-1:
- you had the "ultimate" bad guy in Anubis
- the search for the lost city was reaching its climax (i realise they never found it)
- it led perfectly on to the spin-off series Atlantis with new cast, stories etc
- RDA's heart doesn't appear to be in it anymore (cant blame him with his daughter)
- they're weren't any unfinished threads that Atlantis couldn't tackle (the Jaffa could easily have been handled at the end of season 7 as well)
- it was a kickass end to a season (and a series)

So when i heard of season 8 (before i had even seen season 7), i was a little bit reserved with this idea. But from what i hear there are some MAJOR tying up of loose ends stories towards the end of season 8, which to me would seem like the next best way to finish the series. But after season 8 there seems to be no possibility for a great conclusion to SG-1:
- all the major plot lines will be covered and dealt with
- anyone who dares suggest SG-1 will be good without RDA is kidding themselves
- so many other GOOD series have wittled (spelling?) away into nothing because studios got too greedy and went that extra season more than they should have
- any new stories will have less impact with Atlantis showing simultaneously

Looking at this thread and having read every single post, it is clear to see that a great majority of fans (80-90% plus) do not want SG-1 to be ruined with a ninth season. And mark my words... i know it has been used to death, but we will have another X-Files on our hands if a ninth season gets the go ahead, with or without RDA. I'm sure that like me, the rest of you loyal SG-1 fans have purchased most, if not all, of the DVDs, and have enjoyed most seasons thus far. I am of the belief, like many, many others, that they should end SG-1 on a high (ie THIS season) and concentrate their efforts on Atlantis, which from what i hear has the potential to last more seasons into the future.

Am i too ignorant to think that the powers that be pay attention to their wonderful fan base over the last 10 years and end SG-1 with a bang in season 8??? This would be infinitely better than leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of so many loyal fans by having SG-1 continue on poorly simply for the sake of profits. It would be too much to bear...

I hope i have not bored you to death with my thoughts, but i feel it was worth it. In fact if i wanted to voice my concerns to the powers that be, who should i contact? MGM or the Sci-Fi channel?? I would have thought MGM would be the ones to talk to.

In finishing... PLEASE do not continue with a ninth season just for the sake of profits. You will disappoint so many of us, especially someone like me who has considered SG-1 to be the best TV show i have ever watched.

[GateTraveler]

Looking at this thread and having read every single post, it is clear to see that a great majority of fans (80-90% plus) do not want SG-1 to be ruined with a ninth season.

How in the world do you come up with that radical percentage?? This thread certainly doesn't support it. Other threads here do not support it and neither do the ratings. The only way that you could say that as many as 90% of the fans don't want season 9 is to only look at posts from the negative but vocal minority that pump out posts enmasse on the message boards. Yes, these people are fans too (at least I think they are) but they certainly don't represent the majority.

You know there is a very simple way to end SG1 as many here so desperately want. Drum roll please....

Stop watching the show!!

Actually I'm glad the folks that don't like it still watch but that's the only way it will end - really. The only reason that SG1 has continued on so long is because the viewer base continues to grow year after year. Scifi would certainly be glad to cancel such an expensive show if no one watched it.

Ironically the seasons that many here point to as being the worst (S7 and S8) are the highest rated seasons in SG1 history. That was not the case with X-files so I'm really tired of those comparisons. SG1 is not X-files - not even close. There are still plenty of quality episodes or else ratings would be going down - not up. Viewership would be decreasing - not setting ratings records.

And before you say "ratings do not equal quality", if we were talking about reality TV on a major network, I would agree but we are talking about a show in a genre that normally doesn't appeal to a "mainstream" audience. People actually have to seek out SG1 on an obscure cable network. Pretty impressive!

[Shivan]

How in the world do you come up with that radical percentage?? This thread certainly doesn't support it. Other threads here do not support it and neither do the ratings. The only way that you could say that as many as 90% of the fans don't want season 9 is to only look at posts from the negative but vocal minority that pump out posts enmasse on the message boards. Yes, these people are fans too (at least I think they are) but they certainly don't represent the majority.

You know there is a very simple way to end SG1 as many here so desperately want. Drum roll please....

Stop watching the show!!

Actually I'm glad the folks that don't like it still watch but that's the only way it will end - really. The only reason that SG1 has continued on so long is because the viewer base continues to grow year after year. Scifi would certainly be glad to cancel such an expensive show if no one watched it.

Ironically the seasons that many here point to as being the worst (S7 and S8) are the highest rated seasons in SG1 history. That was not the case with X-files so I'm really tired of those comparisons. SG1 is not X-files - not even close. There are still plenty of quality episodes or else ratings would be going down - not up. Viewership would be decreasing - not setting ratings records.

And before you say "ratings do not equal quality", if we were talking about reality TV on a major network, I would agree but we are talking about a show in a genre that normally doesn't appeal to a "mainstream" audience. People actually have to seek out SG1 on an obscure cable network. Pretty impressive!

Thank you for that post, I agree. I loved S7 and I am currently loving S8.
And I am definitely hyped for S9.

[Krystal]

Great news! I'm really looking forward to see more Stargate and more Atlantis. After seeing many of my favorites series dissapear, is good to know there will be more Stargate.

[jckfan55]

I am hopeful for season 9, though I worry about quality of writing after so many episodes. Do you think they've become over-reliant on people like D. Kindler & Joe & Paul M? whatever happened to Heather Ash & some of the other writers? Robert Cooper's episodes are usually good, but isn't he pretty involved with Atlantis these days?

[Daniel's_twin]

I may be putting a little too much faith in these guys, but I wouldn't worry too much. I have high hopes for season nine, and SG-1 hasn't let me down yet. So I'm hopeful.

[aussie_gal]

How much you wanna bet the same people whining and moaning about how bad Season 8 is and how the show should end will be right back here whining and moaning about how bad Season 9 is and how the show should end this time next year ?

Yeah well theres a lot of people that thought that stargate started going bad after season 4-5 . But your bound to get people that dislike seasons.

But i do think that season 9 will be great.

[jungleboy_george]

How in the world do you come up with that radical percentage?? This thread certainly doesn't support it. Other threads here do not support it and neither do the ratings. The only way that you could say that as many as 90% of the fans don't want season 9 is to only look at posts from the negative but vocal minority that pump out posts enmasse on the message boards. Yes, these people are fans too (at least I think they are) but they certainly don't represent the majority.

You know there is a very simple way to end SG1 as many here so desperately want. Drum roll please....

Stop watching the show!!

Actually I'm glad the folks that don't like it still watch but that's the only way it will end - really. The only reason that SG1 has continued on so long is because the viewer base continues to grow year after year. Scifi would certainly be glad to cancel such an expensive show if no one watched it.

Ironically the seasons that many here point to as being the worst (S7 and S8) are the highest rated seasons in SG1 history. That was not the case with X-files so I'm really tired of those comparisons. SG1 is not X-files - not even close. There are still plenty of quality episodes or else ratings would be going down - not up. Viewership would be decreasing - not setting ratings records.

And before you say "ratings do not equal quality", if we were talking about reality TV on a major network, I would agree but we are talking about a show in a genre that normally doesn't appeal to a "mainstream" audience. People actually have to seek out SG1 on an obscure cable network. Pretty impressive!

i feel i need to clarify...

the 80-90% figure came from reading an almost identical thread topic at www.sg1archive.com. If you are interested... http://www.sg1archive.com/forums/ind...opic=9599&st=0

Looking at this thread it appears those figures are way out of whack. All it goes to prove is that opinion is greatly divided.

Now don't get me wrong, as i said SG-1 has been my favourite TV show ever, and i am only concerned that you can have too much of a good thing. I know ratings are sky high at the moment... but that is mainly because you have these large concluding episodes from prominent storylines of the past. Once these major plots/themes are dealt with (and i believe most of them will be by the end of S8), i am just worried that we will have reached this huge climax and then they will be looking for fresh ideas which i dont think can have anywhere near the same impact, especially with Atlantis going ahead full steam.

Again i ask why can't they concentrate all their efforts on marketing Atlantis as the perfect spin-off which has the potential to last many more seasons?

Long-live the Stargate FRANCHISE...

[Daniel's_twin]

Alas, and I would regret this greatly, s9 will most likely be the last season, so you'll get your wish anyway in a year or so, most likely. But I seriously hope not.

[GateTraveler]

i feel i need to clarify...

the 80-90% figure came from reading an almost identical thread topic at www.sg1archive.com. If you are interested... http://www.sg1archive.com/forums/ind...opic=9599&st=0

Looking at this thread it appears those figures are way out of whack. All it goes to prove is that opinion is greatly divided.

Now don't get me wrong, as i said SG-1 has been my favourite TV show ever, and i am only concerned that you can have too much of a good thing. I know ratings are sky high at the moment... but that is mainly because you have these large concluding episodes from prominent storylines of the past. Once these major plots/themes are dealt with (and i believe most of them will be by the end of S8), i am just worried that we will have reached this huge climax and then they will be looking for fresh ideas which i dont think can have anywhere near the same impact, especially with Atlantis going ahead full steam.

Again i ask why can't they concentrate all their efforts on marketing Atlantis as the perfect spin-off which has the potential to last many more seasons?

Long-live the Stargate FRANCHISE...

Once again you are looking at a very slanted minority opinion by focusing on one thread in one forum. As you admit, this thread doesn't support that opinion so perhaps the majority of "fans" might actually want a 9th season.

Why do you people who claim to love the show want it to end??? It seems to me that if I actually loved something I would not want it to end. To want something to end just because you think it might not be any good in the future just doesn't make any sense to me. That's like me saying "You know, I think I'm going to leave my wife. She looks pretty good now, maybe not as good as she looked 10 years ago but I just know she is going to get fat and ugly one day because look what happened to JoAnne down the street (i.e.xfiles). Nah, I should just end it now while she still looks good."

On the ratings, what major story lines were closed in the 1st half of S8? Most of the eps didn't deal with closing anything out. The 2nd half will but those eps haven't aired yet so there obviously aren't any ratings to look at.

[Darren]

We did a GateWorld poll on the topic of a ninth season. Those GW visitors opposed to a ninth season added up to less than 9 percent:

http://www.gateworld.net/cgi-bin/sta...t=results&q=56

[Erik Pasternak]

That says something!

[Major Fischer]

As is most often the case on any subject, internet message boards are filled with people of the extremes of opinion. I would hazard to guess that if one ran a thread about who liked Jonas and disliked Jonas the opinions would be the most extreme because only the extremes want to argue the issue.

That doesn't mean that such a thread would be reflective of division within the larger fanbase for the show.