The End of SGU (Will We Ever Know?)

[garhkal]

And could also get free publicity due to the news coverage of the novelty of transitioning a live action show into an animated one.

But how many of us would be willing to watch it if it was nothing but animated?

[Brother Freyr]

But how many of us would be willing to watch it if it was nothing but animated?

Ick. I'd rather follow the story via a novel, or even a comic book, than animation. Purely a question of personal taste.

[min min light]

I'd watch it if they revealed the ending they originally planned. In that case I'd watch it if they drew the series in crayon.

[jeri]

I never said it wasn't the only good episode. I think some of you have taken what I said and twisted it a little in order to pick a fight.

I simply said that the first episode was good and it went downhill from there. Light was another good episode (eventually) after all the drama was out of the way and the plot actually kicked in.

As for Time, no never saw it.

So, are you saying you never watched the episode Time?

This means you did not watch all of SGU. So, how can I even consider your opinion???

Please go watch the WHOLE series and then we can talk intelligently about it's pros and cons.

[jeri]

I didn't miss any point.

Each Generation try to reinvent themselves, based on the misconception that their generation is somehow different or better than the last. This arrogance dissipates with age. The individual finally recognises its "all been done before". These gradual trends over generations are unmistakable in TV. The movement towards much more programming offered Varity, until we recognised the same formula strategies becoming painfully predictable and boring.

These days it’s metastasised into “all about business”, which is why some are wrongly obsessed about ratings as an indicator of quality. The best TV show is the one that sells the most. The basic point of corporate business is to sell as much as you can to as many as you can and gobble up markets and make profits. So the product must be aimed at largest MOR average population groups. If it successesfull it’s by definition just another average mediocre TV product.

That is not quality.

What is lost is the importance of the 'Value judgement'.

SGU started off strong in the first season but lost its way going back to the old SG-1/Atlantis enemies and action.... in an attempt to gain viewer ship.

Its probable that the producers were unaware of just how good the product was.

Well stated.

The ratings debate really makes me angry because I have never been counted, nor do I know anyone who has ever been counted. That system is so flawed, it seems to be designed for the lowest common denominator of a viewing audience.

I watched Stargate from the beginning and always loved it, some episodes more than others. But by the time SGU had come along it was a breath of fresh air for me. I had evolved and grown and was ready for something different. And I loved SGU from the start. Some episodes more than others, but I got what they were trying to do and have always given a bit of slack to first seasons of any show I watch. I think I enjoyed season one as much as season two for different reasons.

[jeri]

But how many of us would be willing to watch it if it was nothing but animated?

Sorry, I draw the line at animation!

[garhkal]

Well stated.

The ratings debate really makes me angry because I have never been counted, nor do I know anyone who has ever been counted. That system is so flawed, it seems to be designed for the lowest common denominator of a viewing audience.

I watched Stargate from the beginning and always loved it, some episodes more than others. But by the time SGU had come along it was a breath of fresh air for me. I had evolved and grown and was ready for something different. And I loved SGU from the start. Some episodes more than others, but I got what they were trying to do and have always given a bit of slack to first seasons of any show I watch. I think I enjoyed season one as much as season two for different reasons.

Same here.. though i do know 3 people who are neilson raters..

[jelgate]

Well stated.

The ratings debate really makes me angry because I have never been counted, nor do I know anyone who has ever been counted. That system is so flawed, it seems to be designed for the lowest common denominator of a viewing audience.

I watched Stargate from the beginning and always loved it, some episodes more than others. But by the time SGU had come along it was a breath of fresh air for me. I had evolved and grown and was ready for something different. And I loved SGU from the start. Some episodes more than others, but I got what they were trying to do and have always given a bit of slack to first seasons of any show I watch. I think I enjoyed season one as much as season two for different reasons.

All businesses are run like that. You sell what has the most appeal for the masses

[jeri]

All businesses are run like that. You sell what has the most appeal for the masses

Sorry, but NO they don't all run like that! I am the owner of a business and there are still quite a lot of people in business for the love of their work and the production of quality. But to stay in business and stay profitable, one must change and adapt. It just takes a little creativity and sense to find ways to do that without sacrificing quality and originality. There is plenty of money to be made in the niche markets. The networks need to get smart and embrace the new directions.

[Quizziard]

Sorry, but NO they don't all run like that! I am the owner of a business and there are still quite a lot of people in business for the love of their work and the production of quality. But to stay in business and stay profitable, one must change and adapt. It just takes a little creativity and sense to find ways to do that without sacrificing quality and originality. There is plenty of money to be made in the niche markets. The networks need to get smart and embrace the new directions.

The biggest problem is, the TV companies are not selling TV. They're selling advertising space. TV is just the stuff that gets interrupted for the ads. So what they're selling to is a niche audience, i.e. those who watch certain types of TV. In that category it's harder: they need audience numbers, OR somehow persuade certain advertisers that numbers are meaningless if they choose the sci-fi (for example) audience as their preferred demographic.

[min min light]

True - really it's the advertisers who choose what we get to watch. It's too bad that people object so heartily to product placement, because I always hoped that might be one way to close the profit gap.

[psl1]

I certainly never bought the premise that fewer viewers = poorer quality show. That’s a pedestrian attitude. Usually the shows that don’t get high ratings are the best TV to watch.

Most of the best TV I've seen has been on public Broadcast [BBC PBS etc] and none would have been made it had they needed to sink or swim based on ratings and TV Ad sales.

If you rely on TV ratings for your guide, you get mediocrity...because that’s the mainstream audience. You make the show for the audience. Like I tried to tell others, this show is just not for you. It’s just “not your cup of tea”, so “get over it and get on with it”.

[Krisz]

I've accepted the fact that I'll never know how the reluctant mismatched crew of Destiny fared. I enjoyed their adventures and watching them come to terms with what they were faced with, I can't deny that I didn't feel some disappointment at having to accept this fact.

I liked the idea that the makers of Stargate wanted to try something new and it worked for me. Other shows that don't work for me I stop watching, even after giving them the same chance as I did for SGU. SGU only clicked for me towards the end of the first season. It succeeded for me because the foundation was cleverly built even as I tried to get used to the new filming style and character interactions, it sneaked up on me and by the end of season one I was drawn in and invested in seeing how these people dealt with the hand fate dealt them.

I was certainly glad that that there was a second season, there so easily could not have been as proven by other shows in the past subject to the vagaries of viewer numbers! Imagine not knowing how things turned out after the end of season one, that would have been worse than how it was left at the end of the second!

So I guess I can be grateful for that and enjoy sharing what I liked about what we did get with others who feel the same.

[Quizziard]

Of course, if you're actually within the American demographic who weren't populous enough to justify continuing SGU, think about us poor foreigners who literally weren't considered at all... but still liked/loved the show...

[Brother Freyr]

I followed a link from here in the forums to a fanfic completion of the story:

Stargate Universe: The Virtual Third Season

It filled the the void for me until (if ever) BW chooses to share his ending with us. And, yes, it has some errors/problems with stargate mythology, science, etc., but it's sooo much better than anything I could dream up. Give it a try if you hate the unfinished feeling left over after watching SGU.