Stargate Mini-Series?

[kirmit]

There will be a third movie if the first two SG-1 films sell well.

If the first 2 succeed, which if all SG-1 fans buy them they should, I'm sure there will be several more movies, TPTB have said as much, 2 a year sounds alright to me.

[jenks]

I wouldn't be surprised if they green lighted another film before these two are even released to be honest...

[Freekzilla]

First off, it's not necessary to quote me when there's no posts between me and you. Second, you have to look at it from the audience's point of view, not just yours alone. There might not be such a thing as too much SG for you, but that doesn't apply to everyone else. Obviously, SG kept going strong with two shows, but I think any more than that is pushing it, will dilute the production teams, and ultimately milk the franchise dry. As far as TV shows go, we have Stargate: Atlantis and the upcoming Stargate: Universe which may air as soon as the fall of 2008. Most likely, SG:A will still be on when SG:U comes out unless SciFi decides to cancel SG:A.

Sorry about quoting. It's a habit, so I can keep thing straight without misunderstandings. Are you implying that I am SG obsessed? Ok ok, guilty as charged. I liked the two show deal we have before. It was like not having to choose between chocolate and vanilla. It made it sooo much more of a "can't miss" night with two shows. I still honestly believe a properly done and executed mini-series shown right before the season starts or during the mid season break would be a good thing. Not a lot, maybe 4 episodes or so. Just a little taste so to speak. But, that is just my opinion.

Now, as far as Universe goes, I really don't think it will air until atleast spring 2009. The reason is, there is a lot going on in the entertainment world right now. A possible strike of the Writers Guild could happen as soon as Nov. 1 because their contracts end Oct. 31. The Directors and Screen Actors guilds expiring soon after, which could have them striking as well. The negotiations with the writers guild are not going very well either right now. If all three do strike, then it would probably be 6 months until anything gets done, at the very least. That would bring us to around late spring/early summer before work began again. Since Universe is so early in it's development, with no scripts ready to go and no filming done already, a fall 2008 premier of Universe is very unlikely. Unless of course the strike doesn't happen, or if in the case it does, they work like crazy madmen day and night to get it done after the strike ends. If the 3 strikes happen and is of any duration, then Universe won't likely come out until spring 2009 at the earliest. So, by the time Universe does air, SGA could be gone or close to ending. Who knows, SGA could be put on hold too if the strike happens, if it's still around that is. So you see, I really don't think a 4 episode mini-series twice a year would "milk the franchise dry". Especially if the storyline of the mini was not tied to SG-1, SGA, or Universe. I do however agree that maybe it would be too much to have another full series if both SGA and Universe are on, for some people but not me of course.

But who knows how things will go in the next few weeks/months.

[Daniel Jackson]

Sorry about quoting. It's a habit, so I can keep thing straight without misunderstandings.

That's fine if you're going to respond to parts of the post instead of the whole thing or if other people have posted since, but if you're going to quote it all in one quote when my post is directly above, well... it just seems redundant. I'm not asking you to stop, I'm just saying it's unnecessary, but if you want to, that's fine.

Are you implying that I am SG obsessed? Ok ok, guilty as charged.

No, but I am saying you aren't being objective.

I liked the two show deal we have before. It was like not having to choose between chocolate and vanilla. It made it sooo much more of a "can't miss" night with two shows. I still honestly believe a properly done and executed mini-series shown right before the season starts or during the mid season break would be a good thing. Not a lot, maybe 4 episodes or so. Just a little taste so to speak. But, that is just my opinion.

The production crew is very happy to only be working on one show this year. If I had the choice between a between-seasons mini-series or extending the season by four episodes, I'd rather have a longer season.

Now, as far as Universe goes, I really don't think it will air until atleast spring 2009. The reason is, there is a lot going on in the entertainment world right now. A possible strike of the Writers Guild could happen as soon as Nov. 1 because their contracts end Oct. 31. The Directors and Screen Actors guilds expiring soon after, which could have them striking as well. The negotiations with the writers guild are not going very well either right now. If all three do strike, then it would probably be 6 months until anything gets done, at the very least. That would bring us to around late spring/early summer before work began again. Since Universe is so early in it's development, with no scripts ready to go and no filming done already, a fall 2008 premier of Universe is very unlikely. Unless of course the strike doesn't happen, or if in the case it does, they work like crazy madmen day and night to get it done after the strike ends. If the 3 strikes happen and is of any duration, then Universe won't likely come out until spring 2009 at the earliest. So, by the time Universe does air, SGA could be gone or close to ending. Who knows, SGA could be put on hold too if the strike happens, if it's still around that is.

Stargate is a Canadian production, so it won't be effected.

So you see, I really don't think a 4 episode mini-series twice a year would "milk the franchise dry". Especially if the storyline of the mini was not tied to SG-1, SGA, or Universe. I do however agree that maybe it would be too much to have another full series if both SGA and Universe are on, for some people but not me of course.

I just think a mini-series is pointless when we already have Stargate: Atlantis. I think the whole reason of launching a third show while SG:A is on the air is so that it can have an established audience when SG:A ends.

[Freekzilla]

There, no quoted post. Do I get a cookie now? LOL! (just teasing you)

Well, of course it's not objective. It's only my opinion. No opinion can be 100% objective. There's always atleast a tiny bit of bias. But you can't fault me for having good taste atleast.

Of course the production crew is happy to be working on only one show, they're all just slackers. JUST KIDDING! A mini-series wouldn't be a huge production strain. It's no piece of cake, but they could handle it pretty well. They have been doing two full series after all.

The vast majority of people involved with SG are also members of the American guilds. Now, even though the production side is Canadian, the funding and management is American, not to mention some of the actors. So, trust me, it could be affected by an American strike. One of the contentious items on the table is "profit sharing" on DVD sales. So that could affect SG. Though I hope not. The strictly Canadian productions should be free and clear of any problems though. One thing I am not sure about is, how international productions work concerning guild agreements and such. I'm starting to get a headache just thinking about all the different angles and aspects.

Now, I personally think a mini-series that is NOT about Atlantis or SG-1 would be great. As long as it is done well. One of the things that concerns me, is the long hiatuses they seem to have more and more often now. Having something good to fill in the down time would go a long way to diminish the pain of the dreaded hiatus. I mean, we're not talking about a full series or 20+ episodes. Just 4 episodes or so. I just feel there is a lot they could explore that is not related to SGA and SG-1, and that it could be very interesting. But hey, we're all entitled to our own opinions.

[Daniel Jackson]

No, you don't get a cookie. You get a cute little cat that will destroy all of your furniture.

I know it's your opinion, and there's nothing wrong with that. I was merely pointing out that in the TV business, you have to be objective, because there are so many variables at play. The writing strike only effects American writers. SG:A's writers are Canadian, therefore SG:A won't be effected. If they wanted to make a mini-series, they'd be making that instead of Stargate: Universe. If you simply want to shorten the hiatus, the cheaper route is to extend the length of Atlantis's seasons by a few episodes instead of creating an entirely new production which would last just as long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the concept of a mini-series nor new, original ideas. I just feel that a mini-series isn't necessary when you already have a successful weekly TV show.

[Freekzilla]

Oh no! Not a cat! I hate cats! And they don't seem to like me either; not to mention that I am a little allergic to them. *snif snif* No cookie.

I can certainly understand being as objective as possible. But there is such a thing as being too objective. Casr in point, Trek the original series. The objective opinions of studios and execs cancelled that series because of the expensive nature of it, and the low ratings. And just look at the franchise now. If a few people hadn't been a bit biased and not as objective as the "business" would have prescribed, it would never have been as big as it is. What I'm saying is, sometimes you just have to take a chance, especially if it's something you really believe in.

One of the reasons I feel that a mini would be a good thing, is that it could bring something completely new to the franchise. Just doing series after series could get stagnant after a while. I'm just trying to be creative to keep it fresh. And I hope the writers/producers try to do the same thing. That's why I think the DVD movies are a good thing. It's new, fresh, and I like that.

[Daniel Jackson]

I can certainly understand being as objective as possible. But there is such a thing as being too objective. Casr in point, Trek the original series. The objective opinions of studios and execs cancelled that series because of the expensive nature of it, and the low ratings. And just look at the franchise now. If a few people hadn't been a bit biased and not as objective as the "business" would have prescribed, it would never have been as big as it is. What I'm saying is, sometimes you just have to take a chance, especially if it's something you really believe in.

Star Trek is a different situation. It was an NBC sci-fi show that struggled in ratings, because the ratings system of the time was inaccurate. NBC cut the budget and moved it to a late-night time slot for the third season, then cancelled the show. Syndicated reruns in the 70's lead to a movie revival. The fourth movie was so hugely successful that the TV show was revived in the form of the spin-off show TNG, and that lead to everything else. However, oversaturation ended up watering Star Trek down into a bland show, ultimately leading to it's demise. I'd rather this not happen to SG.

One of the reasons I feel that a mini would be a good thing, is that it could bring something completely new to the franchise. Just doing series after series could get stagnant after a while. I'm just trying to be creative to keep it fresh. And I hope the writers/producers try to do the same thing.

Doesn't SG:A do that on a weekly basis when it's not a Wraith or Asuran episode? This is one more reason why I think a mini-series is a bad idea. It's just one, big story. Blah... Where's the variety? That's why I love Stargate over today's modern shows, it's not the same thing week in and week out, each episode is something new and fresh unless, of coarse, it's continuing a story arc. If you want something new and original, write the SG:A team, and ask them to do less arc episodes and more stand-alones.

That's why I think the DVD movies are a good thing. It's new, fresh, and I like that.

For now, any SG movies made by MGM will be based on SG-1.

By the way, since you keep pushing new and original, why not rent movies instead of asking for an SG mini-series?

[jdog]

Id like to see a STARGATE: AREA 51 series..

Eureka meets atlantis......they could move the stargate there too....

[any_gopher]

Regardless, I still think they should wait for the season to finish before deciding to order a fifth season. What if the first five episodes are crap, then the rest is great? What if the first five episodes are great and the rest is crap?

Ideally, that'd be great. But the producers start work on the next season during the airing of the previous season, so I don't know how they'd make that work.

[Liam Kincaid]

No, you don't get a cookie. You get a cute little cat that will destroy all of your furniture.

I know it's your opinion, and there's nothing wrong with that. I was merely pointing out that in the TV business, you have to be objective, because there are so many variables at play. The writing strike only effects American writers. SG:A's writers are Canadian, therefore SG:A won't be effected.

I don't see how a Writer's strike would affect Stargate Atlantis. All they are doing is re-using SG1 scripts, with a few minor changes. What do they need writers for? If the Xerox machines and White-Out manufacturers went on strike, now, then they would be in trouble!

[Daniel Jackson]

Did you read my post? I said that SG:A's writing team is Canadian and thus uneffected by the writer's strike. As for SG:A's scripts being recycled SG-1 scripts... they're not. However, they do occasionally reuse an old sci-fi concept that's been overused like this week's amnesia episode.

[Wraith_Boy]

We don't need mini-series. They should order more DVD-film at least 2 per year!

Two 90 minute movies per year compared to a regular season cannot be compared. Even a mini-series would get them far more screen-time. 90mins isn't enough to finish off major arcs. They spent 2 years with the Ori storyline, yet are planning to wrap it all up in 90 mins. Multiple galaxies, Ancients, Ori ships, Ori followers, Priors, Doci, Adria, + another enemy etc, etc.

What they should have done was a mini-series to end it like with what Farscape did with 'The Peacekeeper Wars'. Tell the story in 4/5 hours, rather than jamming it all into 90 mins.

[StarG8fan]

Anything IMO.....just keep Stargate going!

[Daniel Jackson]

Two 90 minute movies per year compared to a regular season cannot be compared. Even a mini-series would get them far more screen-time. 90mins isn't enough to finish off major arcs. They spent 2 years with the Ori storyline, yet are planning to wrap it all up in 90 mins. Multiple galaxies, Ancients, Ori ships, Ori followers, Priors, Doci, Adria, + another enemy etc, etc.

The movies will be two hours each, not 90 minutes. That's not to say they'll be exactly 120 minutes each, but it'll be closer to 120 than 90. Two years were spent with the Ori story, but it ultimately boils down to the Ori who may all be dead, Adia who ascended, Ori warships which the Oddyssey can now fight, Ori armies who now lack a leader, and those creepy Priors who's powers can be neutralized if a Prior-power-neutralized is close by. A two hour movie would be plenty of time to wrap all of that up. After all, the Goa'uld and the Replicators were wrapped up in just two episodes (84 minutes total).

What they should have done was a mini-series to end it like with what Farscape did with 'The Peacekeeper Wars'. Tell the story in 4/5 hours, rather than jamming it all into 90 mins.

You don't want a pair of 90-minute movies, yet you want it to be like Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars which was a pair of 90-minute movies?