Axe Falls on ‘Stargate Universe’

Stargate Universe Cancelled!

Always knew this was likely given it’s US ratings, but reports are saying SyFy have axed ‘Stargate Universe’. Real shame, as it just seems to be getting stronger and stronger as a show, but isn’t finding an audience. For me, it’s the most interesting and different to of the Stargate franchise… But that was possibly also part of it’s downfall.

Yes, the style was… shall we say ‘heavily influenced’… by Battlestar Galactica. But BSG was a great show too (even with the slightly dodgy ending), so I never saw being inspired by another show as an issue. I mean, we wouldn’t have has those interestingly show space sequences in BSG if it hadn’t been for Firefly doing it first.

The final 10 episodes of SGU’s second season will air on SyFy (US) in the Spring of 2011, and presumably on Sky1 soon after.

So another interesting and dark scifi show bites the dust. Would you like to see a new Stargate franchise? If so, where would you want them to go next? Leave your thoughts in the comments, or over on the forum.

Stargate Universe Gets A New Trailer!

And it’s looking pretty awesome! I’d say the Stargate Universe guys have been watching a bit of Battlestar Galactica. This looks by far the darkest the Stargate franchise have gone with any of their shows, but it’s nice to see there’s still room for the occasional pop culture reference.

Michael Shanks Talks Stargate Universe

Michael Shanks

The nice folk over at scifiwire.com have been chatting with SG-1 star Michael Shanks about his upcoming appearance in Stargate Universe.

He describes SGU as:

• Having a very “different tone” to previous Stargate shows, with “some darker elements to it”
• Visually stunning
• Saying of the audience’s reaction to it “It won’t be quiet on the bulletin boards is the best way to put it”.
• He’s back with a cameo, as are RDA and Amanda Tapping but he wouldn’t be drawn on whether it’s a 3 solo cameos, or if they are all in one scene.

Shanks also mentions the next SG-1 DVD movie is apparently greenlit, but there are no contracts in place yet.

Clicky here for the full interview

Stargate Universe: First Look!

Stargate Universe Cast:(l to r back row) Ming-Na, Justin Louis, Jamil Walker Smith, Brian J. Smith, Lou Diamond-Phillips, (4 in front l to r) Alaina Huffman, Robert Carlyle, David Blue, Elyse Levesque (Click pic for larger).

The first cast shot of the Stargate Universe cast popped up on AICN recently. It’s a group pic of them in ‘civvies’, not full SG uniforms, but it does give you a chance to put faces to some of the names that have been mentioned in the casting.

Here’s a rundown of the characters:

Camile Wray (Ming-Na) – A human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program. Now the highest ranking member of that division left stranded on the ship, she carries herself with a misguided sense of superiority over the other military and civilian survivors.

Colonel Everett Young (Justin Louis) – An experienced Stargate team leader. Married, with years of tough decisions under his belt, life has taught him never to take anything for granted. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive.

MSGT. Ronald Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) – A Marine with a temper you don’t want to mess with. His past is mysterious but it’s clear something dark formed the hard shell around him.

Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) – A junior member of the Stargate team. Green and rough around the edges, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he’s ready for the responsibility and must learn to command, earn respect through action, and manage the diverse personalities aboard the ship.

Colonel Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) – A proud lifelong military man, who puts his faith in the chain of command. Stubbornly confident, he’s highly regarded by his superiors. He is the chosen leader of the ill-fated expedition.

Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) – One of the most brilliant scientific minds, whose motives are not what they appear to be.

Eli Wallace (David Blue) – A total slacker, who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to – mathematics, computers, video games. A lack of confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor.

Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) – The daughter and aid of a U.S. Senator. Politically savvy, but with a wild side, she is considering following in her father’s footsteps, until she finds herself trapped on the ship. As tensions rise, her character will be tested and her place among the group revealed.

So, we have a whole bunch of military guys, a few scientists, the obligatory geek, and a politicians daughter… There seems to be a lot of people in that group who are listed as ‘leaders’, or ‘command’, which rather makes me think not all of them are going to make it past the 2hr pilot episode (anyone else think Mr. Diamond Phillips might end up doing a Robert Patrick?).

It’s certainly looking a lot darker/gritter than previous Stargate series judging by the teaser trailer (below). I’m rather hoping they’re not attempting to copy the truly excellent Battlestar Galactica but in a Stargate universe, because i really can’t see that working. Much as i loved BSG, Stargate has always been lighter than that, and i’d hate to see it lose it’s way by them trying to force a Stargate shaped peg into a BSG shaped hole… However, darker sequels to original shows have worked in the past. Here’s hoping SGU turns out to be Angel to SG1/Atlantis’s Buffy.

Robert Carlyle Heading Through The Stargate!

According to this article in The Hollywood Reporter, Robert Carlyle will play  the leader in the next series in the Stargate franchise, Stargate Universe.

“Described as edgier, darker and younger-skewing than its predecessors, “SGU” follows a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians left to fend for themselves when forced through a Stargate after their hidden base comes under attack. The survivors, who emerge aboard an ancient ship missing in the far reaches of space, are led by Dr. David Rush (Carlyle), who works to unlock the ship’s mysteries and return the group home but also might have ulterior motives.”

Interesting choice for a lead role, and a pretty big name for the franchise. But he plays action and comedy extremely well, so he should fit into the Stargate erm… universe pretty well! This is a slight change from what they’d originally planned by the looks of things, as the original casting notes (see below), had the leader of the team being a Colonel Everett Young, a 40′s handsome, capable, former SG team leader. A military man, not a doctor. Dr. Rush will be the only ‘name’ on the regular cast, with new faces filling the other roles.

Original Casting Notes:

Colonel Everett Young
40′s handsome, capable, former SG team leader. Like the Jack O’Neill of ten years ago, but Young’s edges have tended to sharpen over time. He requested permission to serve the remainder of his commission on Earth upon marrying his wife, Hailey, two years ago, but for now he’s temporary commander of a secret off world base. The loss of two members of his team several years ago has taught him never to take anything for granted, and be prepared for anything. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive. STAR NAMES ONLY. SERIES REGULAR;

Tamara Jon
20-25, all ethnicities (Asian Preferably). SGC Field medic, Captain grade. Off world experience. Beautiful, tough, smart, capable. Paramedic level training. Able to triage serious injury. Modest background. Dreamed of being a doctor but couldn’t afford medical school and the Air Force was her best option. She ends up being the most medically inclined person on the ship but is overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge and experience treating seriously wounded and ill patients. She also lacks the medicine and supplies and has to make do. SERIES REGULAR;

Chloe Carpenter
20ish. Stunning and sexy. Daughter of a U.S. Senator. Silver spoon upbringing and a little spoiled but not stupid either. Politically and socially savvy. Dreams of following in her father’s footsteps but for now she’s a bit of a party girl in her first year at an Ivy League school. Her father’s tragic death and the dire circumstances of being trapped on a spaceship seriously tests her character. SERIES REGULAR;

Eli Hitchcock
20-25. Total slacker. Utter genius. Mathematics, computers, anything he puts his mind to. Acerbic sense of humor. A social outcast. Comes from a broken home. Lacks confidence because his true intelligence has never really been recognized like Matt Damon’s character from Good Will Hunting with a little Jack Black thrown in sptv050769. SERIES REGULAR;

Lt. Jared Nash
20-25. Junior S.G.C. team member. Officer material but green and rough around the edges. Every teenage girl’s fantasy. Like a college quarterback thrown into his first pro game, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he’s ready for the responsibility and must learn to take command, earn respect through action, and manage the diverse personalities on the ship to keep everyone alive. Like Jason Bourne, he is skilled and well-trained however he is mentally unprepared for the urgency of the situation. SERIES REGULAR;

Ron “Psycho” Stasiak
20, all ethnicities. Marine. Big, strong, silent. You want him on your side. You don’t want him mad at you. Lacks control over his temper in non combat situations. His past is a mystery but it’s clear something dark formed the hard shell around him. Yet, there must also be some moral center because otherwise he’d kill everyone around him. Think Eric Bana’s character “Hoot” in Blackhawk Down. SERIES REGULAR.

Stargate: Universe Is Opening 2009!

Stargate: Universe, Opening 2009

As the old saying goes, ‘When one Stargate closes, another one opens’…

After yesterday’s news that Stargate: Atlantis wasn’t getting picked up for a 6th season, according to hollywoodreporter, SCIFI have greenlit a 3rd Stargate series Stargate: Universe which will lanch with a 2 hour season opener in 2009.

After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate’s ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed.

What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.

The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny’s original mission.

Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny, but only for a brief period of time before carrying on with its pre-programmed navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures.

Stargate: Voyager anyone (Ooh, or Stargate: The Littlest Hobo… *maybe tomorrow, i’ll want to settle down, maybe tomorrow, i’ll just keep movin’ on…*)

Still, it’s an interesting new direction for franchise. MGM are said to be looking for a ‘known actor’ for the lead (like they did with Richard Dean Anderson on SG-1). They’re also not looking to shift characters from Atlantis or SG-1 over, which makes sense, given they want to keep both those shows running on DVD. The whole point of SG:U is you can’t just nip back to the SGC (which kinda would make it hard for any existing cast to suddenly pop up in a DVD movie if they’re supposed to be stuck billions of light years away on an uncontrollable ancient starship!)

Glad to see Stargate is coming back to TV sooner rather than later!