S10: Critique & Contemplation

[Crow T. Robot]

Here was what ran through my mind when I read the news article.

Why would MGM pay to use characters they don’t own like Mitchell, Vala, ect and reboot to “Star Gate Command”? They own the rights to Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson outright since they are from the original movie. Thinking about it, wouldn’t it be cheaper and more practical if MGM was going to retool series anyway, base the next series on the movies?

No continuity messes. No copy-rights to contend with. Big movie screen name to ‘Based on the screen play by” to push it. Until you can get these new movies out either for the big screen or for TV syndicate or do a mini for Sci Fi with the series you do have. Then when you reboot the series, reboot it completely with the characters MGM owns outright and find two new unknown young hunks to revise the roles of Dr. Daniel Jackson and Jack O’Neill.

Odds are Sci Fi has some sort of non-compete in place in US markets for 2-5 years. (It’s a guess on the time period it’s the standard language in ours). It’s probably going to take MGM that long to decide either way about doing the movies and get this cable network up and running.

If I was a MGM executive I know one option I might be exploring very carefully depending on how contracts might be set up.

[Mandysg1]

I wonder if the US gets any Canadian channels, which could circumvent that little problem. I think they get the BBC, but I can't be sure of that either. So if SG played on the foriegn channels, they could still get it, I think

[ParadoxRealities]

I wonder if the US gets any Canadian channels, which could circumvent that little problem. I think they get the BBC, but I can't be sure of that either. So if SG played on the foriegn channels, they could still get it, I think

there was a talk...somewhere...about BBC(Canada?) picking up SG-1. i think it ended up negative. <digs through threads>

EDIT: got it. it was , but i think some of the points still apply. thread merged with speculation a while ago, so the posts are kinda scattered. i think MS (and then Mads after it didn't stop) actually answered the question, but the thread goes on for quite some time

[ToasterOnFire]

SG-1 was up slightly. Atlantis was the same.

You mean Atlantis got a 1.6 for the finale, even with Jack? Ouch. Ah, for the days when 1.8-1.9 was normal, now we seem stuck in this 1.5-1.6 rut. And I don't see ratings improving significantly during the second half either.


I don't think SG1 could continue to air on the new MGM channel, since the contract with SciFi appears to forbid it. Likewise, if MGM merely renames SG1 as "Stargate Command", keeps the characters/baddie, and airs it on its own channel then I think it's close enough to SG1 that SciFi could sue or something.

No, I think if any new Stargate material airs on the MGM channel it's definitely not going to be SG1 or even a retooled Stargate Command. It's going to be a third series, different and hopefully better than SG1.

I don't see any network, US or international, picking up SG1 as it is. I don't think networks are interested in ten year old shows with falling ratings. Just not profitable.

[Skydiver]

i quite honestly, do NOT see the show itself comign back. it has too much baggage attached to it.

what i can see is a retooled and rebranded show, perhaps the much touted 'stargate command' with a new team and maybe a few carryovers - likely in the supporting cast, landry, walter, siler, etc.

the main cast members can visit - and likely will to kick things off, give them a ratings boo - but if they're smart, they will distance themselves from the past as much as possible at least in the beginning

think Trek TNG. yes, it was set in teh same universe, and it acknowledged its past, but it tried for a different flavor than classic trek

it is POSSIBLE that atlantis could move, but that boils down to how tight skiffy's non-compete clause is (imho, mgm was damn stupid to let skiffy tie thier hands that way. damn stupid)

I for one dont' see atlantis on skiffy lasting more than season 4. right now it's worth keeping cause it's cheaper, and it helps to tie mgm's hands with stargate. but that won't last forever. skiffy's future seems to be thier own made shows - or those made by nbc, and atlantis does nto fit that mould.

I think the SHOW is dead, although the franchise could be scavenged

[Crow T. Robot]

(imho, mgm was damn stupid to let skiffy tie thier hands that way. damn stupid)

It depends on how MGM handles licensing agreement. It may not have been MGM that tied the hands.

Take Disney for example. They own the rights to the rights to the characters outright. How they structure their licensing agreements is they essentially they ‘lease’ the characters to various interests for a set period of time.

If SG’s contracts are structured similarly they essentially leased the rights to the general SG concept and the characters from the movie to Coop and company for a set number of years. Standard language back when I interned with the Mouse was 10-15 years. After that the rights to characters would revert back to MGM. At that point either party could decide not to renew the contract for any reason.

So…Say SG’s licensing agreements are based similarly. We’re at the 10-11 year mark with this agreement. The agreement last 15 years total. MGM has no intention on renewing the agreement with our PTB. And suppose the information we’re hearing out of MGM about the new movies, ect is MGM starting to lay plans for what they want to do with the franchise in the future.

[Crow T. Robot]

You mean Atlantis got a 1.6 for the finale, even with Jack? Ouch.

Ouch! Is right. If SG-1 is up slightly that would be placing them at 1.6 tied with Atlantis again.

That means their going to have to stop blaming us Jack fans for the shows ratings fall. Crap!

You think they’ll blame wrestling on UPN next? By the ratings numbers I read Friday Night Smack Down beat Fox’s Friday night line-up.

[Zoser]

Ouch! Is right. If SG-1 is up slightly that would be placing them at 1.6 tied with Atlantis again.

That means their going to have to stop blaming us Jack fans for the shows ratings fall. Crap!

You think they’ll blame wrestling on UPN next? By the ratings numbers I read Friday Night Smack Down beat Fox’s Friday night line-up.

We can heap the blame on the abysmal use of RDA's time in the past episodes of season9 & 10.
Here's hoping Action!Jack is back for the second half of the Atlantis cliffhanger.

[Crow T. Robot]

We can heap the blame on the abysmal use of RDA's time in the past episodes of season9 & 10.
Here's hoping Action!Jack is back for the second half of the Atlantis cliffhanger.

LOL! Yeah we could do that. I know quite a few Jack fans that didn’t tune in to Atlantis because they’d been jerked around too many times. The boys on the bridge played them for a fool one to many times and they refused to bite this time.

You think its saying something about the writing when RDA admits in an interview he brought the script straight to Brad and made Brad promise him that they would explain logically how SGA lost a General without making anyone look incompetent?

[Zoser]

LOL! Yeah we could do that. I know quite a few Jack fans that didn’t tune in to Atlantis because they’d been jerked around too many times. The boys on the bridge played them for a fool one to many times and they refused to bite this time.

You think its saying something about the writing when RDA admits in an interview he brought the script straight to Brad and made Brad promise him that they would explain logically how SGA lost a General without making anyone look incompetent?

What? someone look incompetent - oh that would be TPTB!

At least RDA reads the script and thinks if the blasted thing makes sense. (Excuse me for a few minutes - I need to kick and stamp my feet - I want RDA back!!)

[Rogue]

LOL! Yeah we could do that. I know quite a few Jack fans that didn’t tune in to Atlantis because they’d been jerked around too many times. The boys on the bridge played them for a fool one to many times and they refused to bite this time.

You think its saying something about the writing when RDA admits in an interview he brought the script straight to Brad and made Brad promise him that they would explain logically how SGA lost a General without making anyone look incompetent?

They have been jerking quite a few fan bases around. They can only cry wolf just so many times. Just ask the Sam/Jack shippers.

[Skydiver]

LOL

yeah well wait for it. once those fans that are falling for characters and pairings htat are in favor with the BAB to get played.

pretty soon tptb will have ticked off so many members of thier fandom that they won't have one left

isnt' joss weadon kinda looked the same way? i seem to recall folks swearing off every watching one of his productions ever again because of how he treats the fans. same with bellisario

[Rogue]

We can heap the blame on the abysmal use of RDA's time in the past episodes of season9 & 10.
Here's hoping Action!Jack is back for the second half of the Atlantis cliffhanger.

I watched Real World last night. Even though I enjoyed seeing RDA, they could have gotten anyone to do that part. I really don't see the logic with using him in throw away eps. To me it seems like TPTB threw away the opportunity to bring back fans.

[Skydiver]

I watched Real World last night. Even though I enjoyed seeing RDA, they could have gotten anyone to do that part. I really don't see the logic with using him in throw away eps. To me it seems like TPTB threw away the opportunity to bring back fans.

yes, that's exactly what they've done with him. he's not there as JACK O'NEILL, he's there as this general played by RDA

[Mandysg1]

I watched Real World last night. Even though I enjoyed seeing RDA, they could have gotten anyone to do that part. I really don't see the logic with using him in throw away eps. To me it seems like TPTB threw away the opportunity to bring back fans.

For future reference Rogue, these two words don't go together