so why won't scifi let us have a season 11

[ReganX]

SKY would be very interested otherwise they would not have purchased the last episodes ....

I imagine that they purchased the whole season rather than buying it on an episode by episode basis. The only reason they are showing the second half first is because the Sci-Fi channel has chosen not to show it yet.

I imagine that buying the airing rights to a show costs considerably less than paying for the whole thing would.

[ReganX]

I think that Sci Fi had the rights to SG-1 but any new show that is developed would be fare game for any network although Sci Fi has the best chance to get it I hope that MGM who own the property will negotiate a much better deal so that they don't get screwed by Sci Fi.

I wonder if Sci-Fi have any rights over characters/concepts that were developed while they were funding the show's production. If so, they would probably be well within their rights to stop them being used in any future projects if they so chose.

This would include Mitchell, Vala, Landry and the Ori.

[ReganX]

none of you actually responded to the question someone asked earlier. Did any major network actually seemed interested in buying SG1 for season 11?

Excellent question. If a network was genuinely interested in funding an eleventh season of SG-1, then it is very possible that the Sci-Fi channel would agree if the terms were favourable enough.

[ReganX]

Ther'es no season 11 anywhere unless Skiffy okays it, or unless they film in Romania

I understood that regardless of where it was filmed, it could not be aired, at least on US television, without the Sci-Fi channel's permission.

[Nighthawk4]

So are we now going the Star Trek route?

The original series gets cancelled. A spin-off series is produced, which does well (sort of - it is at least getting better).

So then the original cast start making movies with a much bigger budget, mostly ripping off stories from the actual series, until the actors get too old to hold a phaser.

Not that all of that is necessarily a bad thing - some of the movies were not too bad and at least we got more ST and now might get more SG.

[ReganX]

So are we now going the Star Trek route?

The original series gets cancelled. A spin-off series is produced, which does well (sort of - it is at least getting better).

So then the original cast start making movies with a much bigger budget, mostly ripping off stories from the actual series, until the actors get too old to hold a phaser.

Not that all of that is necessarily a bad thing - some of the movies were not too bad and at least we got more ST and now might get more SG.

Given that the movies are direct to DVD, I doubt that they're going to be big budget. I imagine that the question of whether or not there'll be more more than two depends entirely on how well they do sale-wise.

[ReganX]

I would have to say that Scifi DO NOT own the IP licence of Stargate b/c its MGM decision and they can do whatever the hell they want. MGM have the right to take Stargate off Scifi and take the licence away from Scifi, can they? Scifi only hosting Stargate on their network with using MGM IP licence of Stargate.

Can MGM sue Scifi in Court of Law to pull their licence off from Scifi and move it to another network? MGM has more $$$$ then Scifi, right with Sony?

Not if Sci-Fi own the airing rights.

If MGM made an agreement with the Sci-Fi channel that they would have control over the airing of a possible future season of SG-1 without including a provision allowing MGM to go elsewhere with their show if Sci-Fi chose not to retain the show for an eleventh season and beyond, then there is very little they can do.

[Mitchell82]

Given that the movies are direct to DVD, I doubt that they're going to be big budget. I imagine that the question of whether or not there'll be more more than two depends entirely on how well they do sale-wise.

Actually they are going to have a much bigger budget than a normal ep but not a motion picture type budget.

[Mitchell82]

OK, so we've all decided it was about the money.

We're come to the conclusion it was about the ratings as well.

The one thing no one points out, is that with both SGA, BSG, and SG1, all the ratings are going into the can because scifi doesn't keep a consistant schdule for the airing of the tv shows. For example:

SG1, SGA, on for 2 months. Then off for 6 months. Changed time/date multiple times. They NEVER did what normal networks do, and run the episodes until the season was actually over. They always played 4-6 (or 8) espisodes, and then stopped playing it for 6 months. Or in this case, haven't they rescheduled the return of SG1 and Atlantis a couple of times this season?

Scifi has a rep for killing shows, and after the cancellation of SG1, I've stopped watching them all together.

I agree scifi is making huge blunders but the whole year round thing could work well have to see.

[ReganX]

Actually they are going to have a much bigger budget than a normal ep but not a motion picture type budget.

What is it an average ep costs - $2 million, give or take? If the movies are going to be around two hours each, the length of three episodes, then I imagine that each movie's budget will be around the $6 million mark, maybe less, stretching to $7 or 8 million at most. In terms of budget per minute, I doubt it will be much higher than that of an episode, especially as production seems to be timed very close together.

They're not going to get the same return on two movies as they would on a full season, so I doubt they will invest anywhere near as much in them.

[Mitchell82]

What is it an average ep costs - $2 million, give or take? If the movies are going to be around two hours each, the length of three episodes, then I imagine that each movie's budget will be around the $6 million mark, maybe less, stretching to $7 or 8 million at most. In terms of budget per minute, I doubt it will be much higher than that of an episode, especially as production seems to be timed very close together.

They're not going to get the same return on two movies as they would on a full season, so I doubt they will invest anywhere near as much in them.

I wouldnt bet on that. I have a feeling the movies will sell just as well if not better than a full season set, thus making up for it not being 30-40 bucks.

[quasarsky]

the real reason scifi is canceling stargate sg-1

Spoiler:

the airforce doesn't like "wormhole xtreme! (sg1) giving away too many details LOL

[Starxgate]

if Sci-Fi chose not to retain the show for an eleventh season and beyond, then there is very little they can do.

At least until the contract runs out. Then MGM will not have to sign a new contract & will hopefully never again want to sign another contract with Sci-Fi after what happened with SG-1. One thing we do not know is when does the contract run out.

[ReganX]

I wouldnt bet on that. I have a feeling the movies will sell just as well if not better than a full season set, thus making up for it not being 30-40 bucks.

I don't know about elsewhere but over here, a full Stargate box sets starts out around the €80-90 mark before dropping over time.

With a direct to DVD movie, I don't see shops charging a third of that when it first comes out and the price will drop over time.

If the Stargate box sets for Season Ten don't sell well, some shops may not even bother stocking the movies.

[ReganX]

At least until the contract runs out. Then MGM will not have to sign a new contract & will hopefully never again want to sign another contract with Sci-Fi after what happened with SG-1. One thing we do not know is when does the contract run out.

Or if it does.

If the Sci-Fi channel control the fate of Season Eleven indefinitely, it mightn't.

Plus, even if their contract runs out in two or three years, that will probably be too long for them to be able to pick up the show again. Fans and actors will have moved on.