Stargate: Origins the name of the new TV show?

[Quantumentanglement]

Pure speculation ahead! I also think the show is in very early stages. They probably scrambled to get something through for the comic con. I mean seriously, how redundant is the opening line in the trailer: "what if you didn't know the whole story?", for an adventure sci-fi show? It was fine but I found it funny!

[Falcon Horus]

I checked out the writers' twitter accounts. The director has been quiet. The head writer has been posting images of Egyptian rip-off lego figures (Lego doesn't have Stargate sets) to inspire his writing and brighten up his writing space.

And the co-writer has been on an anti-Trump rant more than that there's actual Stargate content to enjoy. He's got a wicked TL feed though. Might follow him for his political stuff alone.

It might be early, but if you want to gauge interest and keep it -- you have to put in the effort.

[Xaeden]

I agree with you, but you have to understand where they are coming from. There are three Stargate series, only SG-1 has gone on for a while and there's still a lot to explore. And all of a sudden they are making the fourth without finishing neither of the three(we can argue the possibilities are endless so it can never be finished, but still). Not only that, but this time it has nothing to do with the big three, and despite that fact it still has a potential to ruin the entire Stargate.

Personally, I'm more worried about this being derailed by the unrealistic fan expectation that a continuation should happen instead, even though that's not economically or practically feasible.

Origins is, at least conceptually, a smart move on MGM's part. This way, you have the means to expose new audience members to Stargate who may feel overwhelmed by starting in on its 300+ episodes, but would be less resistant to starting with something that markets itself as the franchise's chronological beginnings. If it works for those people, there's a good chance they'll also be interested in seeing a subsequent fourth actual show. The problem, right now, is that MGM can't finance and put a fourth show on the air by itself. They need to convince a network to air it, and obviously selling it to a network is a problem after how the Sci fi channel tanked the last three series with their idiotic programming decisions. However, if Origins sufficiently builds buzz for the franchise and does well enough, MGM would have a much better case to make when pitching something.

If you at all would like that fourth full-length show, this is a great potential a stepping stone to that. Look at it that way instead of focusing on if you're personally interested in seeing a digital mini-show set in the past. We almost lost the TV continuity and now there's actually some hope for its future thanks to Origins. I'd hate to see that be derailed because fans didn't understand why a revival of an existing show couldn't be put together instead.

[Falcon Horus]

^^ Makes good point!

[aretood2]

Personally, I'm more worried about this being derailed by the unrealistic fan expectation that a continuation should happen instead, even though that's not economically or practically feasible.

Origins is, at least conceptually, a smart move on MGM's part. This way, you have the means to expose new audience members to Stargate who may feel overwhelmed by starting in on its 300+ episodes, but would be less resistant to starting with something that markets itself as the franchise's chronological beginnings. If it works for those people, there's a good chance they'll also be interested in seeing a subsequent fourth actual show. The problem, right now, is that MGM can't finance and put a fourth show on the air by itself. They need to convince a network to air it, and obviously selling it to a network is a problem after how the Sci fi channel tanked the last three series with their idiotic programming decisions. However, if Origins sufficiently builds buzz for the franchise and does well enough, MGM would have a much better case to make when pitching something.

If you at all would like that fourth full-length show, this is a great potential a stepping stone to that. Look at it that way instead of focusing on if you're personally interested in seeing a digital mini-show set in the past. We almost lost the TV continuity and now there's actually some hope for its future thanks to Origins. I'd hate to see that be derailed because fans didn't understand why a revival of an existing show couldn't be put together instead.

Just compare the announcement to The Orville to the news about Origins. Do a news search, and there's more activity about The Orville (An original project) than Origins. The push needed to start a new show requires everything that is going for Orville. Known names, known concept (the Star Trek concept), causal familiarity, and low levels of needed background knowledge. A Stargate reboot would have....none of that. Sorry, I'm a Stargate fan a much as the next poster....but if I mention Star Wars or Star Trek to casual viewers of the occasional sci fi episode and movie, they'll know what I am talking about. But say Stargate....and I'll get absolutely nothing, unless they watched McGuyver or looked up Jason Momoa's TV acting career.

The amount of background knowledge needed for this is huge. The previous names needed for a continuity (that is old cast) is at this point nearly if not totally impossible for several (they've all moved on). So it'll have to be a complete reboot, without a feature film to back it up like SG-1 had. And no one is making a Stargate film reboot with out what's-his-face showing up making the same noise as before. So it will have to be baby steps...small baby steps...

[Falcon Horus]

Just compare the announcement to The Orville to the news about Origins. Do a news search, and there's more activity about The Orville (An original project) than Origins.

You should just say it as it is, as far as Origins goes, there was only the "big" announcement in July and then all went silent again.

The only one tweeting about Origins is one of the writers, Mark I think, and it's images of Lego figures to bring inspiration (if he needs inspiration from an Egyptian lego figure, Origins is doomed from the start ). The other writer's too busy tweeting everything anti-Trump and the director is probably the most quiet of them all -- probably forgot she has a twitter account.

[NickEast]

Just compare the announcement to The Orville to the news about Origins. Do a news search, and there's more activity about The Orville (An original project) than Origins. The push needed to start a new show requires everything that is going for Orville. Known names, known concept (the Star Trek concept), causal familiarity, and low levels of needed background knowledge. A Stargate reboot would have....none of that. Sorry, I'm a Stargate fan a much as the next poster....but if I mention Star Wars or Star Trek to casual viewers of the occasional sci fi episode and movie, they'll know what I am talking about. But say Stargate....and I'll get absolutely nothing, unless they watched McGuyver or looked up Jason Momoa's TV acting career.

I'm sorry, but I wholeheartedly disagree. If I ask anyone about Stargate, they will know. In fact, for me, the chances that I find people who have never seen Trek or Wars but have seen Stargate is quite high. And what about that terrible movie "Gods of Egypt", or the recent portal update for No Man's Sky, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire. There are countless people, and critics, who have drawn the links between those and Stargate. Hell, I have never seen so many gaming sites comment on No Man's Sky having Stargate-like portals (which are pretty much identical in function). Youtube clips are filled with similar comments. And Jason Momoa has an acting career because of Stargate Atlantis. Finding actual fans of Stargate is harder, sure, but finding people who know or have seen it is quite high.

You also can't compare The Orville to Origins. One is a standard TV show, the other a short webseries. One has known producers and actors like Seth McFarlane, while the other has new people or who work in a niche area of the business. One is being properly marketed, while the other remains behind closed doors and a paywall.

P.S.: Nobody really likes reboots in general, regardless of whether they know of it or not.

[Falcon Horus]

People do recognize the gate (proof of that every time it's build up at FACTS, a local comiccon convention) but the show itself -- hardly.

[Xaeden]

Yeah, like Falcon said, give it time. All we have right now is a teaser trailer without any new footage. When there's a proper trailer and MGM is in full promotional mode, the buzz will grow. You're comparing it to an upcoming network show with a full trailer and a full advertising blitz. That's not to say that Origins will definitely be successful, but we're not at the point yet where we can properly gauge if a lot of people might watch it or not.

Also, as I said previously, there's less need for background knowledge with a prequel and if a fourth show (not a reboot or a continuation of an existing show, but a spin-off with a new cast) comes out of this, there's a way to acknowledge the continuity without making it necessary that viewers have seen 300+ episodes. SGU attempted to do that very thing and they did successfully attract a number of new viewers who have said they started watching the franchise because of it and then went back and watched episodes of SG-1/Atlantis or simply were only ever fans of SGU. Its problems were not so much that it was too overwhelming for new viewers: It debuted to big numbers and then went into decline, in part because some felt that many first season episodes dragged, but largely because it was poorly programmed by the Sci Fi channel who insisted on airing it in the fall, against heavy competition and without a proper programming block (at one point, their genius move was to give it old episodes of TNG as a lead-in).

Don't get me wrong, getting a fourth show would be challenging, but it's not an impossibility and that MGM has ditched the movie reboot and is now doing Origins suggests they're trying to make a case for it.

[aretood2]

I'm sorry, but I wholeheartedly disagree. If I ask anyone about Stargate, they will know. In fact, for me, the chances that I find people who have never seen Trek or Wars but have seen Stargate is quite high. And what about that terrible movie "Gods of Egypt", or the recent portal update for No Man's Sky, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire. There are countless people, and critics, who have drawn the links between those and Stargate. Hell, I have never seen so many gaming sites comment on No Man's Sky having Stargate-like portals (which are pretty much identical in function). Youtube clips are filled with similar comments. And Jason Momoa has an acting career because of Stargate Atlantis. Finding actual fans of Stargate is harder, sure, but finding people who know or have seen it is quite high.

You also can't compare The Orville to Origins. One is a standard TV show, the other a short webseries. One has known producers and actors like Seth McFarlane, while the other has new people or who work in a niche area of the business. One is being properly marketed, while the other remains behind closed doors and a paywall.

P.S.: Nobody really likes reboots in general, regardless of whether they know of it or not.

Stargate does have some traction, but not enough for a continuing show that is faithful to established canon. That's just the way I see it. I loath to use the depths of the internet to gauge casual viewers and their knowledge or how it would translate into "ratings". General media reaction on the other hand, that is easier to gauge. I look up "Stargate" and I find none Stargate stuff with its name on the first page of the results on Google via the news option. Bing is a lot more generous though. But what I see are niche results. Not the type of noise that you would expect to find. Call me pessimistic on this if you wish. I'd gladly be wrong.

Yeah, like Falcon said, give it time. All we have right now is a teaser trailer without any new footage. When there's a proper trailer and MGM is in full promotional mode, the buzz will grow. You're comparing it to an upcoming network show with a full trailer and a full advertising blitz. That's not to say that Origins will definitely be successful, but we're not at the point yet where we can properly gauge if a lot of people might watch it or not.

Also, as I said previously, there's less need for background knowledge with a prequel and if a fourth show (not a reboot or a continuation of an existing show, but a spin-off with a new cast) comes out of this, there's a way to acknowledge the continuity without making it necessary that viewers have seen 300+ episodes. SGU attempted to do that very thing and they did successfully attract a number of new viewers who have said they started watching the franchise because of it and then went back and watched episodes of SG-1/Atlantis or simply were only ever fans of SGU. Its problems were not so much that it was too overwhelming for new viewers: It debuted to big numbers and then went into decline, in part because some felt that many first season episodes dragged, but largely because it was poorly programmed by the Sci Fi channel who insisted on airing it in the fall, against heavy competition and without a proper programming block (at one point, their genius move was to give it old episodes of TNG as a lead-in).

Don't get me wrong, getting a fourth show would be challenging, but it's not an impossibility and that MGM has ditched the movie reboot and is now doing Origins suggests they're trying to make a case for it.

That's the big part. Build a case for it. And I think that was the point given a few posts above. Fans shouldn't try to tank Origins thinking that doing so would end up being rewarded with a full blown show or miniseries. If anything, the success of Origins would be a stepping stone towards that eventuality, depending on several variables.
We should take Origins for what it is, decide if it entertains us or not, and proceed accordingly.

[Falcon Horus]

That's not to say that Origins will definitely be successful, but we're not at the point yet where we can properly gauge if a lot of people might watch it or not.

Considering it'll be geo-locked behind a paywall, I'd say the only ones who will be able to watch it (when it's released) are citizens of the American territories who take out a subscription to MGM's new digital channel (like CBS All Access channel).

We should take Origins for what it is, decide if it entertains us or not, and proceed accordingly.

10 10-minute episodes which hopefully do not have a long intro or outro so that only 7 or 8 minutes are truly left for storytelling.

[Xaeden]

Considering it'll be geo-locked behind a paywall, I'd say the only ones who will be able to watch it (when it's released) are citizens of the American territories who take out a subscription to MGM's new digital channel (like CBS All Access channel).

Yeah, I'm less concerned with how it's initially released than how it's put out overall. One of their goals is to attract people to their digital service and for that they want hardcore Stargate fans to pay up, but obviously that just means charging them for first access, not perpetual exclusive access. The question is how quickly will they do a second "airing" and on what platforms. The trick is to do it before too many people pirate it and the buzz necessary to get new viewers in on it dies down but we'll see.

[lightsyder]

Got an email with a link to sign up for the pay site...

Looks to be a one time cost of $20. Not sure when it goes live

[NickEast]

Yep, and as feared, it's only for US residents. Ironic, considering Stargate was originally a Canadian production. I'm also guessing then that non-US residents don't get the benefits of early-access.

However, the small screenshots and the heading "Ultimate STARGATE Library" do suggest all the movies and series can be streamed.

[Shiner833]

Yes indeed all content will be available. I only see the part that the "Pre-Sale is only available to US Residents." Unless I'm missing something I don't see that the site itself, when live, will be US only. I took it to mean the pre-sale with free T-Shirt is only available to US. Could be wrong though. Site goes live Sept. 20th.