This morning while scanning my TV news sites, I chance upon this article from Airlockalpha.com. Found myself in instant depression when I read the title "MGM Struggles Could Threaten 'Stargate: Universe'. As I read the article that sense of dismay turned into relief which festered into frustration. By the time I finished it, I was reminded why I don't regularly frequent Airlockalpha.com (formally syfyportal.com). They are prone to sensationalism, and really have a "we're doomed" (to quote C3-P0) focus to many of the "genre news" articles they publish.
Take the SG:U article for example. It is based on internet rumors & fan paranoia. Even sources close to MGM say as long as it performs, MGM won't pull it. True, the 3rd Daniel Craig Bond film was placed on the back burner. Lets think about it, a Bond production will exceed the $150M mark during it's 2+ year production, & that excludes the 8+ figure marketing budget. I'll be very surprised is SG:U exceeds the $60M for a single 20 episode season.
For the record, I got bored w/ the Stargate franchise sometime during the 2nd season of Atlantis. For me, the franchise became monotonous & way too formulated. I often called it "SyFy's Trek." If not for the interview in TV Guide, I would never have checked SG:U out. The producers promised something different than what we've seen, & that peaked my curiosity enough to give it a shot. Let me tell you, by the end of the premiere episode, my jaw hit the floor w/ surprise. I went into the episode thinking the producers were just regurgitating empty promises to hype their new series, & was delivered a show that blew my expectations out of the stratosphere.
There is a reason I refer to it as "SG:U". For me, this isn't just the latest "installment of the Stargate franchise". Those are formulated, w/ a magical reset button at the end of each episode. SG:U, on the other hand, is an amazing genre series that happens to have a stargate in it. It is a strong character-driven drama, that has & will go where most shows won't dare risk. The plots are intelligent, well constructed, and is very much entrenched in the serialized drama arena, more akin w/ Battlestar Galactica or Breaking Bad than its franchise predecessors. And after the crisis is adverted (mostly), there is no reset button. The next episode builds from the previous. This shift in style is due, I think, to sci-fi writer John Scalzi's involvement as creative consultant. Yes, they have an honest-to-goodness prose writer helping w/ their plots & characterizations.
If you have not yet jumped on board the SG:U wagon, I highly recommend you do. Buy the SG:U 1.0 DVDs, rent them from NetFlicks, or stream it. Not only will you get a lot more out of it if you watch from the beginning, but you'll experience some the craziest, most intense scenes to air on a non-premium network.
Cheers!
4/29/10
Take the SG:U article for example. It is based on internet rumors & fan paranoia. Even sources close to MGM say as long as it performs, MGM won't pull it. True, the 3rd Daniel Craig Bond film was placed on the back burner. Lets think about it, a Bond production will exceed the $150M mark during it's 2+ year production, & that excludes the 8+ figure marketing budget. I'll be very surprised is SG:U exceeds the $60M for a single 20 episode season.
For the record, I got bored w/ the Stargate franchise sometime during the 2nd season of Atlantis. For me, the franchise became monotonous & way too formulated. I often called it "SyFy's Trek." If not for the interview in TV Guide, I would never have checked SG:U out. The producers promised something different than what we've seen, & that peaked my curiosity enough to give it a shot. Let me tell you, by the end of the premiere episode, my jaw hit the floor w/ surprise. I went into the episode thinking the producers were just regurgitating empty promises to hype their new series, & was delivered a show that blew my expectations out of the stratosphere.
There is a reason I refer to it as "SG:U". For me, this isn't just the latest "installment of the Stargate franchise". Those are formulated, w/ a magical reset button at the end of each episode. SG:U, on the other hand, is an amazing genre series that happens to have a stargate in it. It is a strong character-driven drama, that has & will go where most shows won't dare risk. The plots are intelligent, well constructed, and is very much entrenched in the serialized drama arena, more akin w/ Battlestar Galactica or Breaking Bad than its franchise predecessors. And after the crisis is adverted (mostly), there is no reset button. The next episode builds from the previous. This shift in style is due, I think, to sci-fi writer John Scalzi's involvement as creative consultant. Yes, they have an honest-to-goodness prose writer helping w/ their plots & characterizations.
If you have not yet jumped on board the SG:U wagon, I highly recommend you do. Buy the SG:U 1.0 DVDs, rent them from NetFlicks, or stream it. Not only will you get a lot more out of it if you watch from the beginning, but you'll experience some the craziest, most intense scenes to air on a non-premium network.
Cheers!
4/29/10
