I just ran across this little tidbit at Genre Addict:
http://www.genreaddict.com/tag/brad-wright
Excerpt:
Where to start?
First of all, the fact that THIS particular Stargate show was undeniably and clearly cancelled for LOW RATINGS and LACK OF INTEREST by Stargate fans (or the general audience) makes this entire thought train a wreck. First, let me say very clearly:
1. THERE IS PLENTY OF INTEREST FOR STARGATE (but not Stargate Universe)
There is a HUGE audience of about 4 or 5 million who have been without Stargate since SG-1 and Atlantis were cancelled. The Stargate shows which are Stargate are SG-1 and Atlantis, not Stargate Universe. Those first two shows are clearly related to the premise of the movie, with the stargate being the center of action and adventure. With Atlantis, the city should have been the center of the story, but it effectively created an entire web of exciting new aliens in the Pegasus. Still, the most important room of Atlantis was always the Gate Room.
2. THE PROBLEM IS THE ENTRENCHED WRITERS. Get new writers who want to write STARGATE.
The writers have been there too long and they are out of ideas. On network shows, writers were cycled in and out regularly so that new ideas could happen. But these writers have been doing Stargate TV for so long now that they got bored and even COMPLACENT. They actually entrenched themselves and probably thought, "I am indispensable. Nobody else can do Stargate except me!" :roll: The creation of Stargate Universe was an abomination. The center of Stargate Universe was the relationships between "the wrong people" on a derelict ship out on the edges of the universe. WTF? That premise has NOTHING to do with Stargate. No connection to anything in the original movie, and the introduction of the magical communications stones as the primary means of "travel" (and to earth, no less) was nothing less than a soap opera in space. SGU was NOT Stargate, and thats why Stargate fans did not watch it. WE LOVE STARGATE! When Stargate is back on the air, WE WILL WATCH IT! No tricks, no "new directions", just a new look, a new take on STARGATE. That means action/adventure/science/drama. Forget about the heavy interpersonal drama. That will develop as the characters are developed. Make us like the central characters, and make them a team. And the main purpose of that team is to travel through the freakin STARGATE, mkay?
3. FOLLOW THROUGH AND DO IT RIGHT, which does not necessarily mean throwing money at it, it means sticking to the Stargate premise. Atlantis was done right, and it used relative unknowns as actors.
Brad Wright's Stargate is dead. The canon he and his associates created is still in place (ending with Atlantis). Let him retire, give him a big check and a party at a fancy restaurant and say goodbye. But he has to go. Putting him in charge of any new Stargate project would be a big mistake. Same with Joseph Mallozzi. There are more engaging fanfic scripts for Stargate Atlantis and SG-1 than were ever written by Wright or Mallozzi. Green Screen could bring costs down, and could even serve as a foundation for an extension of Atlantis (since the sets are now gone). If ratings soar, then sets can be built. Or, start in a completely new scenario. But the basic formula has to be there:
http://www.genreaddict.com/tag/brad-wright
Excerpt:
LMAO!It’s a slim hope to resurrect the series that Wright is alluding to, but any hope is better than none at all.
SGU has ten episodes left to air. After that, the series will cease airing on Syfy but the story will remain incomplete, that is, unless the budget hole left by Syfy is replaced another way.
There is a chance that MGM, who have recently tidied up their financial issues, could get behind made-for-DVD movies. There is a chance, which is even more slim, that a new TV network might jump on board. Some have suggested a good fit with Showtime, but personally I think Starz would be ideal.
Either way, the tipping point for either of these scenario’s is demonstration that the fan-base is sufficient enough to warrant the investment, since SGU is a very expensive series to produce.
The first thing to do as a fan is to get behind the Save SGU campaigns that are running. You can start by vising Save SGU on Facebook as they have a ton of campaign links for you to follow.
But the greatest thing you can do is open your wallet and start buying Stargate Universe merchandise. Most importantly are the DVD’s. The greatest chance of seeing SGU again seems to reside in made-for-DVD movies, and they’ll only happen if SGU DVD’s demonstrate a market.
You can find all the SGU DVD’s here: Stargate Store on Amazon
And if tons of DVD’s sell, then a TV Network out there might see the light too. So go forth and save this fantastic series, it deserves it!
Where to start?
First of all, the fact that THIS particular Stargate show was undeniably and clearly cancelled for LOW RATINGS and LACK OF INTEREST by Stargate fans (or the general audience) makes this entire thought train a wreck. First, let me say very clearly:
1. THERE IS PLENTY OF INTEREST FOR STARGATE (but not Stargate Universe)
There is a HUGE audience of about 4 or 5 million who have been without Stargate since SG-1 and Atlantis were cancelled. The Stargate shows which are Stargate are SG-1 and Atlantis, not Stargate Universe. Those first two shows are clearly related to the premise of the movie, with the stargate being the center of action and adventure. With Atlantis, the city should have been the center of the story, but it effectively created an entire web of exciting new aliens in the Pegasus. Still, the most important room of Atlantis was always the Gate Room.
2. THE PROBLEM IS THE ENTRENCHED WRITERS. Get new writers who want to write STARGATE.
The writers have been there too long and they are out of ideas. On network shows, writers were cycled in and out regularly so that new ideas could happen. But these writers have been doing Stargate TV for so long now that they got bored and even COMPLACENT. They actually entrenched themselves and probably thought, "I am indispensable. Nobody else can do Stargate except me!" :roll: The creation of Stargate Universe was an abomination. The center of Stargate Universe was the relationships between "the wrong people" on a derelict ship out on the edges of the universe. WTF? That premise has NOTHING to do with Stargate. No connection to anything in the original movie, and the introduction of the magical communications stones as the primary means of "travel" (and to earth, no less) was nothing less than a soap opera in space. SGU was NOT Stargate, and thats why Stargate fans did not watch it. WE LOVE STARGATE! When Stargate is back on the air, WE WILL WATCH IT! No tricks, no "new directions", just a new look, a new take on STARGATE. That means action/adventure/science/drama. Forget about the heavy interpersonal drama. That will develop as the characters are developed. Make us like the central characters, and make them a team. And the main purpose of that team is to travel through the freakin STARGATE, mkay?
3. FOLLOW THROUGH AND DO IT RIGHT, which does not necessarily mean throwing money at it, it means sticking to the Stargate premise. Atlantis was done right, and it used relative unknowns as actors.
Brad Wright's Stargate is dead. The canon he and his associates created is still in place (ending with Atlantis). Let him retire, give him a big check and a party at a fancy restaurant and say goodbye. But he has to go. Putting him in charge of any new Stargate project would be a big mistake. Same with Joseph Mallozzi. There are more engaging fanfic scripts for Stargate Atlantis and SG-1 than were ever written by Wright or Mallozzi. Green Screen could bring costs down, and could even serve as a foundation for an extension of Atlantis (since the sets are now gone). If ratings soar, then sets can be built. Or, start in a completely new scenario. But the basic formula has to be there:
- A stargate which is the center of things overall. That stargate has to be based somewhere, and protected by a defensive structure of some kind.
- A TEAM. From the movie to Atlantis, the characters central to the story were a TEAM. If your characters in any new Stargate venture are not a team, then its not Stargate, plain and simple.
- Places to go with the stargate. They have to be interesting, strange places, either populated by humanoids or aliens or not at all, but travel to SOMEWHERE on a very regular basis is essential. Thats where the adventure comes in.
- Enemies. They need to be alien enemies, even if they look human...yes, they can even be rubber-faced. The fans never had a problem with that, why did Brad and Mallozzi and Cooper? Its fun, it makes the interaction between the aliens and our heroes the primary focus instead of "wtf are they saying?"
- CONTINUITY. It cant drift off into soapy drama or lose focus of what the show is about, which is the freakin STARGATE!
